Working Title: Kenzie's Song
by Gabigail
Summary: In a Crossover set between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Highlander The Series. Mackenzie Lamont – your typical high school student, finds herself in your not-so-typical situation. Between studying to become a Watcher, finding out that she is a potential immortal, and having to move to Sunnydale for her education— her life becomes a complex web threatening to unravel or is it?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Highlander: The Series belong to me. The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer were created by Joss Whedon and are copy written under Mutant Enemy Productions. The characters of Highlander: The Series were created and are copy written by Davis-Panzer Productions. No infringement of their rights are intended. The stories written under the penname Gabigail and non-copy written characters herein, however, do belong to me. None of my stories are written for profit and are intended for entertainment purposes only.

Please note: This is a piece of writing I recently found on my hard drive (from 2012). As I do not have a Beta reader at this time, I am editing to the best of my ability. However, I am cursed with writing like I speak and having said that, can say A LOT in one breath, which at times comes out in my writing. Therefore, I apologise for any and all spelling (usually a typo) and grammatical errors at this time.

I think this piece was an exercise and probably never meant to be shared. Any critique of a constructive nature is always appreciated. Lastly, I know that interweaving two television series is a difficult task. I utilise a LOT of creative licensing in this process, so any comments regarding where Duncan, Methos, Joe, or Richard should or should not be will be ignored, just saying. The Buffy content skips through a loose chronological order (it appears that I did do some checking along the way, but will have to go over my facts again). And I still don't have an actual title… yet.

Please enjoy

Working Title: Kenzie's Song

Chapter 1

Seacouver: 1998

Stepping through the open double doors, Mackenzie Lamont quickly glances up at the afternoon sky, which she quickly deduces is no different from any other spring day in Seacouver. The sky is a delicate light-grey shade, punctuated with soft, varying hues of thin, fluffy grey clouds; accompanied by the lightest touch of a wispy drizzle that makes the use of an umbrella moot.

Her bright red trench coat is a direct contrast to the weather; she tucks a thumb under one of the straps of the navy blue knapsack that hangs on her slender shoulders. Catching up with her close friends, Joanna and Emily. She matches their pace and only half listens to their animated conversation. In an attempt to unravel her thoughts, Mackenzie takes a deep breath.

"Aren't acceptance letters starting to arrive?" Emily's tone, energetic while they wait for the light to change.  
"I think so," Joanna pauses in thought, "Clair said that she has already started receiving a few. Her smile bright and Mackenzie notes the twinkle in her sea green eyes, "Well then, good old Seacouver U anyone?" she adds, knowing that the sole purpose is to serve, as the inevitable backup should none of them receive admittance to their first choices.  
They pause at the bottom of the driveway leading to Emily's house.  
"I'm not really sure about SU. I'm still hoping for Simon Frasier or UBC. They're far enough away from the parents for me to live on or just off campus, yet close enough to visit on weekends and holidays to hang out with my family." They hug their goodbyes. As Mackenzie hugs Emily, she pauses and leans towards her friend.

"Not that you need it, but good luck." She whispers.  
"Thanks for that. You too."  
"What? With getting into UC Sunnydale?" Mackenzie's sigh concerns her friends.  
"Don't you want to go there?" Joanna inquires.  
"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated then simply where I should go." Mackenzie replies, and attempts a smile to hide her discomfort. "You know what? I'll tell you guys about it at lunch on Monday, okay?"  
"You know that I'm totally holding you to it!" Emily play punches her arm and the seriousness of the conversation is broken by an eruption of giggles. Emily then turns and makes the quick trek up the driveway straight to the large copper mailbox hanging beside the great stain glassed wooden double doors in search for the large envelopes.

Joanna and Mackenzie continue on their way, with Joanna chewing her ear off about which schools she should consider and why, but for some reason, Mackenzie couldn't really concentrate on something so trivial. What if Emily is right? What if she didn't' get into the school of her choice? Then what would she do? She couldn't stop her mind from continually drifting towards the negative possibilities.

"See you Monday." Joanna breaks through Mackenzie's thoughts, but only receives a nod of acknowledgement and a casual smile. "Don't worry; you'll get into all of the schools you've applied to. It's the rest of us who should be worrying."  
"I know. Everything will turn out as it's meant to." Mackenzie carefully hides her true feelings before turning on her heel and, thankfully, walks the remaining blocks home left to her thoughts.

Thank goodness, she muses as she walks up the driveway to the large front door. Mail, she lifts the lid to check for large or even small envelopes addressed to her, bearing various school logos embossed or printed on the stationary. She cannot help but momentarily allow the feeling of disappointment seep into her chest when the mailbox is empty.  
"I already grabbed it Kenzie!" her older brother Jason, hollers loudly from the kitchen, his mouth is no doubt full of whatever he has managed to find in the fridge.  
"Oh," she sighs as she closes the heavy door behind her. Slipping off her shoes, she drops her knapsack on the marble floor and slips her bright red trench coat off, carefully draping it over the bannister.  
"Well come and get your mail! There are several big envelopes!" he exclaims proudly, nearly bumping into her on his way from the kitchen to the stairs up to his bedroom.  
'Thanks." She says under her breath with a smirk. Three large, thick envelopes sit in a neat pile on the kitchen island. UBC, Simon Frasier, and the University of Edinburgh. She is happy that she can add them to the pie that she has already received from Harvard, Oxford, Yale, Cambridge, and the first to arrive UC Sunnydale— she only has three more to arrive and her charade will finally come to its conclusion.

Well at least there are no small envelopes, she muses happily. This is fantastic! I literally have the choice as to where I go. She restacks the envelopes and tucks them under her arm. Leaving the kitchen, she picks up her knapsack on her way upstairs to her bedroom. Inhaling deeply, Mackenzie happily takes in the sight of her sanctuary, the only space in the house she had free-range in décor. The walls painted a light minty green, the plush carpeting a light neutral mushroom colour. All of the bright colours come from the comforter with its thin stripes of fuchsia pink, red, lime green, lemon yellow, navy, and ocean blues on a snow white background. Her sheets and pillow match the fuchsia stripes and she enjoys mixing it up with other colours as her mood changes.

Walking over to her desk, she places the envelopes with the others that have arrived earlier in the week. What am I going to tell mom and dad? She stares at her reflection in the mirror. A gentle knock snaps her from her musings.  
"Hey Kenzie, can I come in?" Jason's voice is quiet, almost as though he's afraid that she will somehow pounce on him for interrupting her. She turns from the mirror to look at him. "Those are good right?" he inquires motioning to the stack of envelopes on her desk.  
"Yeah, Jay of course their great. At least they're not rejection letters." She replies with a sigh.  
"Then how come you haven't opened any of them yet? And how come you haven't told mom and dad about them?" he pauses as she tilts her head, singling him to enter her room. He does so and quickly closes the door behind him. "You think that since they've already made their final decision for you, they won't be receptive to you going to another school?"  
"Well, haven't they?" she replies trying to only raise her voice slightly to merely punctuate her reality; she doesn't want him to truly know how upset she is.

"Isn't UC Sunnydale a good school? Why do you have to go half way around the world for an education?" he asks as he leans his back against the closed door, one hand in the  
pocket of his jeans while the other gestures towards wherever for effect.

"I guess you really don't understand what it's like to have your life chosen or rather decided for you." She sighs to drive her point home. "It truly is unfair, you know?" not wanting to sound like a sullen teenager.  
"I suppose the Watcher thing still has you pissed?" he snorts.  
"You think?" she crosses her arms protectively across her chest and props herself against her cluttered desk.  
"Look, Kenzie, I'd be way more wigged out about the whole pending immortal thing."  
"Mom and dad can never know about that." She sighs in exasperation, pushing herself away from her desk and crosses the room to plop on the bed. Jason can hardly believe her wanting to keep something so incredibly important from the people who love her the most.  
"Don't you think that it ought to be for your safety that they ought to know? I mean, what if God forbid, something actually does happen to you and they believe that you're dead?"

"Jay, I realise that you have a valid point. However, I myself would have been none the wiser if it wasn't for Mac and Richie talking about it. I mean, if I hadn't just happened to accidentally hear that conversation, I'd still be totally in the dark." She explains.  
"Do you think that it's a bad thing?" he couldn't help but ask.  
"Why don't you apply to be a Watcher? Why does it have to be me?"  
"Well, geez Kenzie, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that mother and father's lines have historically been Watchers since there have been immortals. And somehow it was decided by mother, father and Uncle Joe— like before you were born that you would be a Watcher." He pauses and takes a much-needed breath. "Besides, they knew that you'd be the smart one. And you are." He adds with a proud, brotherly smile. Mackenzie sighs in defeat at the validity of his argument but finds herself pushing further.

"I honestly thought that it would naturally go to the eldest."  
"Perhaps there is something unwritten in the Watcher's handbook that you could use to your advantage. But leave me out of it! I'll have none of it! I'm perfectly happy with my chosen path. Seacouver U is my perfect fit. I can study, stay home with my family, and have a normal life." She rolls her eyes at his use of the word 'normal'. "So are you going to open the envelopes anytime soon? Then have that dreaded conversation with mom and dad?"

"Jay," she sighs, "it truly isn't that simple. If Uncle Joe has his way, I'll be going to UC Sunnydale and rather than living in the dorms with a roommate and properly experiencing university life, that I live off campus, I'm not saying that this will happen, but I ought to live with Mac so that I wouldn't have to worry about my Watcher and immortal training. And, of course, to top it off— I would be totally safe." She frowns to emphasise her displeasure that her living, training, and study arrangements have essentially been made for her.

"Oh, and before I forget, Mac has taken a lecturing position at the university, which is the reason he's giving for moving to Sunnydale. Uncle Joe, being Duncan's Watcher, is also moving to Sunnydale and said something about opening a bookstore of rare and used volumes beside an establishment called the Magic Box. I happened to see the floor plans for his shop and they look absolutely amazing— although you never heard that from me!"

"So Kenzie let me get this straight. Your life is literally planned for you?" he pauses in thought, "WOW! That has got to suck big time!" she picks up a pillow and throws it at his head, narrowly missing him. "I get it. At least they really care. All you have to do is accept your hand, your lot, your duty, your destiny— whatever the heck you want to call it. Just stop getting all hinky on me!"

"Duty my ass!" she falls back onto the soft bed with another loud sigh. "I know that you're right on so many levels, but Jay, why can't they understand that I want to be me?"  
"So let me ask this of you— who is that exactly?"  
"Well, I wanted to major in the sciences— get into forensics. You know, make an actual difference in the world."  
"I don't exactly see how that will meld well with being a Watcher." She feels the bed shift underneath as he sits beside her. Slowly, she raises herself onto her elbow and then straight up beside him. She then tucks one long leg underneath herself so she can face him.

"Normally, I wouldn't get all big brotherly on you, but today— I am making an exception." He puts his arm around her slender, yet strong shoulders and pulls her in towards himself. "Kenzie, whatever happens, whatever you choose to do—I know that you'll be fine. There is always a silver lining. You're a potential immortal, so you possibly have way more time than the rest of us to live. I mean, think about it, you've been an amazing student to Uncle Joe in studying all the ins and outs of being an awesome Watcher. You haven't been marked yet, have you?" as she shakes her head no, her deep brown hair becomes un-tucked from behind her ear. He lets out the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.  
"And with Duncan's training, I'm convinced that you can more than take care of yourself, should you stumble on the whole violent death thing."  
"So what you're saying is that I ought to accept UC Sunnydale's offer of admission to their humanities program, a double major in history and linguistics with a minor in archaeology, or perhaps I could get away with a minor in the sciences." He nods his accent.  
"Be sure that you take your lessons with Uncle Joe on the Watcher stuff and continue to train your ass off with Duncan and it's all good."

"So really, what you're saying is, is that I should forget about opening all the big envelopes and just concentrate on that particular one? Make sure that it has my letter of acceptance and an offer of admission, show mom and dad, then get myself in gear to be a puppet on someone's string?"  
"Pretty much." He replies lightly, yet manages to make it sound somewhat heartfelt.  
"Thanks."  
"For?" he asks, already having a pretty good idea of the answer.  
"For listening while I work things out. And while I still disagree with your suggestion on telling mom and dad about school or, more importantly, the immortal thing— you did help in putting things into perspective. Mom and dad haven't seen any of the envelopes right?"  
"Right, I was sure to grab the mail to avoid the roof from blowing sky-high when dad found that you had applied elsewhere in an attempt to shirk your Watcher duties."  
"Thanks, guess it was just the idea or illusion of choice is what I wanted." She sighs.  
"You mean to tell me that you were going to accept UC Sunnydale?"  
"I suppose so. I mean the living arrangements are too good to give up. I don't have to live in the dorms." She smiles brightly. Jason rolls his eyes and stands.  
"Well, I'm glad that I could be of some help."  
"More then you'll ever know." She stands and hugs him tightly. "Now get out of here! I have a tonnage of homework to do before dinner."  
"Ms. Bossy much?" he heads towards the door and slips out.

Once alone, curiosity finally wins her over and Kenzie decides to start opening the envelopes— purposely leaving UC Sunnydale until last— for at the very least if she happens to be rejected, she might still have a chance of being accepted by one of her many well-chosen backups. Finally getting through the pile, she pauses and stares at the final one. UC Sunnydale, here goes, she thinks to herself as she picks up the weighty envelop that she couldn't help but feel contained the letter of admission that would inevitably seal her fate. She slowly rips open the corner, just enough to slide the letter opener in and pull it through. As dramatic as it may appear, she couldn't stop the thought of her impending doom running through her mind— that if she got in, she would lose a huge part of herself. That being said, she also knew the significance having the information would influence her future. Lord, arrangements have to be made, confirmed, and implemented— I have to actually move! As the thought crosses her mind, she realises how real her situation truly is. Okay, take a deep breath, she sighs, Sunnydale California really isn't that far from Seacouver, she tells herself as the contents easily slide out.

She looks at the thick First Year Student Handbook in her hands, then places it aside along with various other pages containing what would no doubt be valuable information regarding orientation, course selection etcetera. Taking a deep, calming breath, she reads the accompanying letter confirming her presupposition of the large, heavy envelope. I got in! Her mind screams as her heart nearly stops beating and drops to her feet. She finds herself holding her breath for a long moment and slowly, deliberately placing the letter on top of the contents on her bed.

"KENZIE!" Jason shouts from the bottom of the stairs, "Dinner!"  
"I'm coming!" she replies loudly and dabs at the tears she hadn't noticed welling up and threatening to fall. Straightening her shoulders, she takes a much-needed deep, calming breath. I need to train, she tells herself, knowing that's one method to calm her tattered nerves, and makes her way to her bathroom to check her face and wash her hands, before making her way downstairs to join her family for dinner. How am I to hide this? How long can I manage not telling them?" she contemplates her situation as she enters the kitchen and walks through to the adjoining dining room.

"How was your day?" her father inquires as she plunks herself ungracefully into the empty seat across from her brother, who is enthusiastically helping himself to another heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes with a— What? I'm a growing boy! Expression on his face.  
"It went." She replies quietly just as she feels her brother's foot as it makes contact with her shin underneath the table. If it hadn't been for her death stare, he would have persisted with lighter taps, like he used to do when they were younger— but quickly taking her cue, felt it unwise to push her into telling their parents about all of her university mail. Her parents had only been expecting one offer of admission in the mail and were truly uninterested in any other.  
"Oh! I nearly forgot," she exclaims while helping herself to a piece of chicken, "I'm going to train with Mac tonight."  
"Training on a Friday night?" Jason's eyes nearly bug out of his head— he knows something serious is up with his sister when she forgoes the homework and Watcher training to train.  
"Well yeah, I need to work on a few things. I thought I mentioned it last week. Mac and Uncle Joe thought it would be a good idea to step up my Watcher training. However, in doing so, my hand-to-hand has been suffering. With Watcher Stalking 101, I feel a bit behind. Which, you know is equally as important as silent observation. One never knows when they might need to defend against an attacker." She qualifies her need to train, without having to admit her tingling nerves. With as innocent a smile as she can muster, Mackenzie accepts the dish of roasted vegetables, her mother gently nudges towards her and adds some alongside the chicken and mashed potatoes.

"What about UC Sunnydale? Have you heard from them yet?" her mother inquires as she reaches the ladle and places a piece of chicken and chunky tomato sauce on her plate.  
"Nothing as yet," Mackenzie replies casually. "But there's still plenty of time." She adds quietly, but not to alarm her parents. Jason manages to keep his word and is silent about the whole academic discussion. He truly doesn't want the whole Watcher thing to fall squarely on his shoulders. The rest of the meal continues pleasantly enough with general conversation— tests and exams, papers, school activities, Jason's university news, sports, and current events. All the while, Mackenzie can sense her parents having an idea that there defiantly is something that she is avoiding— of course they know that she will eventually approach them when she is ready, and not a moment before. They will just have to be patient and wait it out.

"Mom, this is delish! Thank you. May I be excused? I have to pack my bag before I leave to meet Mac at the gym."  
"Yes, of course. Please don't forget— not too late." Her mother smiles as Mackenzie kisses her cheek.  
"Hey, you know me. Always careful and in a worse case, Mac said that he'd drive me home. The hours needed all depend on me and my stupid form— you know how that is." She adds, taking her plate and glass to the kitchen sink, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher before heading up to her room.

Accepting the inevitable, Mackenzie takes a moment to settle herself enough to enjoy working out her nerves. Granted, she had an exam on Monday, but training suddenly overtakes studying as a priority. She quickly packs her black and bright neon blue gym bag with a towel, a change of clothes, and her water bottle. She then just as quickly changes into her workout clothes— a pair of loose-fitting deep navy sweatpants and a white tank top. She pulls her arms through the hot pink hoodie, double checks her homework load and works out how she will organise her time between her dreaded Watcher training and studying for her exam. Finding a black hair elastic, she sweeps her dark locks into a ponytail and checks her reflection in the mirror before bounding down the stairs, gym bag in hand. Grabbing her favourite purple light jacket from its place in the hall closet, she heads out.

Mackenzie always appreciates the beautiful, open space of Duncan's dojo— with its light varnished hardwood floors covered in specific areas with blue workout mats. Benches strategically placed line some walls while weight racks line others and swords and other weaponry artfully hang in cases. Exposed brick meets wood, with several large windows—that during the day allow the natural light to brighten the space. Mackenzie knows that there is no way that she can sneak up on Duncan, or any other immortal for that matter, as he would inevitably sense her presence long before she even steps foot through the door.

Duncan MacLeod, or Mac, as his close friends call him— is a muscular, in a lean sense, tall, tanned Scotsman with beautiful, thick chocolate locks that he usually keeps tied neatly in a ponytail at the base of his skull with a sterling toggle. She pauses and observes as he spars with Richard or Richie Ryan. A pasty, red-haired, freckle-faced young man wearing grey sweats and a tight white t-shirt— a fairly new immortal, who under Duncan's tutelage, is still learning the ropes.

Watching Mac and Richie spare brings to mind the time when Mackenzie was first told of her pending immortality. Clearly, the Watcher thing had become an inevitable reality, never in her wildest imagination had she ever considered the thought that her role could potentially change into her actually becoming an immortal. Mac and Richie must have been having an incredibly intense conversation for Mac to miss her presence, but he let Richie know that he had known that Richie was a potential immortal long before the mugging that went terribly wrong back in Paris that resulted in Tessa's death and Richie becoming immortal. Richie had asked how Mac and Methos had known and Mac had used Kenzie as his example.

 _"When Kenzie is around. What do you feel?" Duncan asks the younger man sitting on a bench across from him, elbows on his knees, hands clasped loosely._  
 _"An odd tingling sensation." The younger man replies with a sigh continuing to pace the room. "I find it odd, as it isn't like when you're lusting after a pretty girl, you know? I just can't quite explain it."_  
 _"Exactly— like you, once Kenzie experiences a violent death, she too will become immortal and have to face the day-to-day situations that we do on a regular basis. I want to tell her. I want to prepare her for what may lie ahead."_

 _"Immortal?" Mackenzie lets the word from her lips and immediately presses her hand over her mouth. The look on her face is one of utter shock and confusion. "How could I be? How long have you known that I am a potential immortal? Were you ever going to tell me?" she feels the tears well up and threaten to fall. "I trust you—trusted you! And you don't even have the courtesy to tell me something this important?" she demands_ trying _to keep her tears at bay. "It's bad enough that I'm already a Watcher, you have to further complicate matters?" her tears break through and are hot against her reddened cheeks, she spins so quickly on her heels, that her high ponytail thrashes her cheeks as she dashes out of the dojo, running all the way home without realising, nor noticing._

As quickly as Mackenzie adapted to her role as a Watcher, she accepted her new reality and began to view her physical training more of a means of calming herself— despite the fact that it could mean life and death. The issue became how to work in her physical training into her Watcher training while of course assisting her in living as 'normal' a mortal teenage life as possible. Therefore, Duncan vigorously trained her in hand-to-hand combat and eventually added the wielding of a sword.

"Hey, Kenzie." Richie says with a bright smile— a distraction that Duncan quickly takes advantage of and pulls him to the ground.  
"Hey, guys." She makes her way to a nearby bench and places her bag on the floor between her feet.  
"Here to work?" Duncan's eyebrows shoot up—surprise written on his face. Lately, with exams, he and Joe had let her slack off a bit with her training. She casually takes a bottle of water from the side pocket of her gym bag.  
"Of course." She replies with a smile and curt nod while pulling a towel from the bag before closing it and putting the towel on the bench, then tucking the bag underneath with her heel.

Richie and Duncan take this cue and bow towards each other signalling the end of their sparring. Richie then heads towards another bench to pick up his towel on the way to the showers. Mackenzie stands and moves towards the mats and Duncan, ready for whatever he has to throw at her.  
"Well then, let's warm up." Duncan moves them towards a space large enough to run sprints and get the muscles warmed up enough to stretch before getting into their new routine. "We'll get the sprints done first, stretch you out, get a little hand-to-hand in, and finish with the broadsword." He lays out their training session.  
"That sounds like a solid plan." she quickly sets her mind to begin their training session. It isn't long before their sprints are done, she's stretched out, and they've nearly completed their hand-to-hand. Mackenzie now stands firmly and holds the perfectly balanced blade in her hands.

"You're very well focused tonight and catching on very quickly." Duncan comments. "I'm impressed." He follows with a well-placed parry. He notices her smile at the compliment and actually brighter than it has been of late. It's almost as she has settled something within her mind, body and soul.  
"Thanks." She replies, her breathing a bit heavier than she thought it ought to be, but she continues with gusto nonetheless.

Completing their training, Duncan tilts his head to indicate a yoga-inspired stretch, followed by quasi-tai chi routine— graceful, fluid movements that complete their training and calms the mind. They finish their session with a curt bow before heading towards the bench and Mackenzie grabs her towel to dab at the sweat on her forehead, some of it making its way down her graceful neck, and toned upper arms.  
"Kenzie, has there been something bothering you lately?" Duncan's comment, as always is direct— something that she has always appreciated about him. However, she is not quite ready to discuss her internal conflicts just yet— especially, when he would inevitably play a huge role in the arrangements. Instead, she picks up her water bottle and takes a long, drawn out satisfying much-needed gulp of water. "I know, I know. Back off. Am I right?" he wants her to approach him when she is ready and not a moment before. Knowing her as well as he does, he hardly expects her to break down so easily. She refuses to answer, instead puts her water bottle back in the bag before glancing at the clock on the exposed brick wall.  
"Shoot!" she says under her breath, "my mother is going to kill me." She hurries to put her things back in her bag and pulls out her hoodie.

"Don't worry, I'll get you home safely and explain; if you want, to your mother why we were so late." He says with a comforting smile and grabs his own towel to wipe the sweat from his brow.  
"Thanks again." She pauses in thought before adding, "My parents still don't know about my impending immortality. I don't want to worry them." She sighs loudly. "I mean, what if nothing happens?"  
"And what if something does?" his question as valid as Jason's thoughts earlier. "It's clear that you would much rather go to school as far away from them and your duty as a Watcher as possible." He sighs and pauses. "Kenzie, what's going on with you?" he gently places a comforting hand on her slumped shoulder. She doesn't shudder, nor does she shy away from his touch.

"I guess I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed. I mean, all I want to do is be 'normal'. Yet here I am all duty bound without so much as being asked if I was even interested in a life-long occupation." She takes a deep breath and holds it for a moment before continuing. "And to top it off, I find out that I potentially, and the true kicker? Is that it cannot actually be confirmed, be an immortal. How does one cope? As of right now, I have all of my university acceptances and admission offers. But it has long ago been decided for me that I am to attend UC Sunnydale. So there you go! All of my hopes of going away to Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, or even Yale— just name a few, that I applied to as backups in the hope of UC Sunnydale rejecting me. I guess no such luck."  
"You knew that wouldn't have happened." Duncan points out as he puts some of the weapons they sparred with away and Richie emerges from the showers.

"What wouldn't have happened?" he inquires as he runs the towel over his damp locks, still clinging and curling around his ears before draping it around his neck.  
"Oh, just my not getting into UC Sunnydale is all." She doesn't mean it, but her tone feels like a slap in his ears, even to her own. She removes the elastic and runs her slender fingers through her hair, sweeping it back up into a ponytail and wraps the black elastic around the base, she divides her hair and pulls to ensure it stays in place.  
"You're kidding, right? You didn't get in?" his look is one of shock as his glance shifts back and forth between Duncan and Mackenzie. Knowing how intelligent she is, he knows she could easily get into any school that she desired— Richie would never be able to appreciate the significance of US Sunnydale.  
"Oh, I got in; however, I also got into every other school I applied to and would much rather attend."  
"Does that not just confirm that which we already know?" he winks with a broad smile just as he walks over to his bag and shoves a few things in before quickly zipping it up.  
"Kenzie, I'll get you home so that your mother doesn't have a cow. That will also allow us to further discuss a few arrangements that have to be made." Duncan tries to keep the conversation as light as possible as they make their way to the car and he helps her put her bag in the trunk. They drive in silence for a few minutes before she can no longer take it.

"So, you wanted to discuss a few things?" she breaks the silence, instead of reaching for the dial on the radio.  
"You know that I been talking with Joe. Our discussions generally revolve around the presupposition that you will accept UC Sunnydale's offer of admission. I have agreed to take on a guest lecturing position so that our training will continue throughout your academic career. You have progressed beautifully and I don't want you to lose that. This way we can continue and your parents will never have to know about your pending immortality. That is until you choose to share that information with them." He pauses as the car slows to a gentle stop at an intersection. "The Watcher's Council has instructed that you have the proper residence, so your mother and Joe have arranged a condo for you that isn't too far off campus. It's actually quite lovely. A three bedroom, two and a half baths, a large living room, formal dining room, I hear a spacious kitchen."  
"Am I to live alone?" she lets a soft sigh escape her lips.  
"We'll I've looked into renting a bachelor flat in the same complex, so I won't be too far away should you need anything."

"When you say that it's a three bedroom, why not save yourself the hassle and move in with me? Let Uncle Joe take the bachelor flat. That way I can also maintain my Watcher study and he can continue his job observing you."  
"I hear that the renovations on the bookstore are coming along nicely. He even has made sure that there is a study area. Once I procure a space for training, we will organise a schedule that fits in with your Watcher and academic studies." Mackenzie doesn't respond; she stares out the window for a moment in thought—considering the new information.

"What if I had not been accepted? Wouldn't all of this planning been for nought?"  
"Kenzie, we knew that you would be accepted. And I have always had confidence in you— that you would make the right decision."  
"How can you say that? I mean, sure, I think that I'm making the decision— but you know as well, at the end of the day, I'm not. Consider all the outside influence— all the crap about one's fulfilment of one's destiny or duty, or whatever you want to call it has an impact on me reaching my final decision." He knew her pause was not for him to butt in, rather allow her to gather her thoughts. "I mean really, no pressure. Just do what we want you to do and everything will be fine." He cannot hide the smirk that forms on his lips and he pulls the car into the driveway and parts. "I guess this is me," she smiles and rolls her eyes as she hears the latch of the trunk release. "Actually Duncan, you've been a wonderful help." She smiles as she reaches out and sets her hand on his arm with a gentle squeeze.  
"I have?"  
"Yeah, talking this out with you before having the conversation with parents has been very enlightening." She smiles before undoing her seatbelt and opening the door.

"Glad I could be of some help." He appears confused as to how just listening has helped her remove the earlier emotion from her thoughts. "Oh, and by the way, my understanding is that the condo is yours. Your parents thought that it would be an appropriate graduation gift and the Council agreed to provide you with a salary."  
"You're kidding right?"  
"No, which is why I initially looked into a bachelor in the complex," he pauses. "I didn't want you to be alone per se." He watches as she closes the door and goes to the trunk to gather her gym bag. "Good night." He says through the open window.  
"Thanks again." She puts her bag on the ground by the driver's side door, reaches in and gives him a quick half hug. "Good night." She smiles brightly, he can see the weight lift off her slender shoulders and picking up her bag, she heads to the door. Duncan watches as she slips the key into the lock and opens the door. Once she waves and closes the door, he pulls out of the driveway and heads home.

"Hey, sweetie." Her mother says smiling. "I was just making some tea. Would you like something to eat?"  
"Hey, mom. That would be great." She replies and sits at the island counter. She glances at the clock and waits for her mother to freak out on her for being out later.  
"How was training?"  
"Good, good. Is it true that I don't have to live in residence?" her mother turns to look at her.  
"Well, we felt that it would be far better for you to live off-campus. You would be closer to Duncan and Joe for training purposes."  
"Question for you." Her mother nods slowly.  
"Shoot."  
"What exactly has Uncle Joe been telling you about my training?"  
"Only that you are quite the natural."  
"In Watcher training?"  
"No, your training with Duncan. They are incredibly proud of you and feel that you will be absolutely fine in the field. Your Watcher training is also above any expectations that we could ever have had for you."

"Mom?" she takes a deep breath, hoping that she missed the undertone.  
"Honey, did you honestly think that I didn't know?"  
"Huh? Know what exactly?"  
"Kenzie, you got into UC Sunnydale. Your Watcher training has been at an incredibly accelerated rate, and." She adds in a whisper, "You're a potential immortal. As your mother, I need to ensure your safety, which is the main reason I make sure that you receive proper training with Duncan."  
"How did...," she pauses, her eyes wide.  
"It wasn't something I knew, per se. Like you I stumbled on it through being in the wrong place at possibly the right time."  
"Mom, I just wanted to protect you."  
"Protect me? Protect me from what Kenzie? If something had happened to you and we couldn't get to you before you were sent to the morgue or worse— autopsy, then you truly would be dead." Her mother quickly prepares two large mugs of tea, pouring boiling water over the teabags and heading to the fridge to retrieve the milk.

"I never thought about it that way." Mackenzie accepts the mug of steaming liquid.  
"Honey, I realise that being a teenager is difficult enough. You're going through emotional stuff, which isn't always that easy to manoeuvre. And I know that you being chosen to be a Watcher is not exactly fair, but your father and I agreed that it was for the best. We love you dearly, but I'm beginning to truly see the pressures we've placed upon you."  
"Mom, don't worry about it. I can totally handle it." Mackenzie takes a sip of tea and rests her elbows on the countertop, her mug surrounded in her hands.  
"Besides, I saw the pile of envelopes on your desk. I wasn't snooping." She clarifies.  
"I know, laundry right?" she places the mug back on the countertop.  
"Listen, I know that UC Sunnydale isn't your first choice. And by the looks of things, you really just wanted to get as far away as possible from your duty. Hey, I don't blame you. I've been there and done that. I was twelve when my father first told me that my life had been literally decided for me."  
"So how come you didn't wait with me?"  
"I wanted your duty to fit you, not try and squeeze you into something that you would resent— like I did. I wanted to be a researcher or a teacher."  
"But mom, you are."  
"In a manner of speaking, I suppose. Now I train new Watchers and manage the training and education streams."

"Not me though."  
"Well, I didn't want to add extra strain on our relationship. I could see what trying to integrate duty can do to close Watcher families."  
"So Uncle Joe stepped in?"  
"Your father and I agreed that it would be for the best."  
"Well, you know what mom?"  
"What's that sweetheart?"  
"Thank you. I truly have a far better perspective and that's an amazing help." Her smile confirms her mother's wishes before she even has the chance to vocalise her thought.  
"So are you going to UC Sunnydale?"  
"I actually think it will be for the best. After all, UC Sunnydale has the curriculum in terms of linguistics at least. I was wondering though, could I possibly double major and have an extra minor?"  
"Let's not fill that plate too much, sweetie. You still have your training to consider." Always the wise mom, Mackenzie thinks to herself.

"I know, I know. I was just thinking that a backup is always a good thing. Just in case, you know?" Mackenzie smiles brightly and moves to give her mother a much-deserved hug.

"So on a scale of one to ten, how difficult was this conversation?" her mother's smile making her laugh instead. "Really?"  
"Well, that all depends. Had I decided to take another schools offer? I have a feeling, not as well as it did."  
"Your father and I knew that you wouldn't."  
"How could you know?"  
"You left everything unopened until UC Sunnydale arrived."  
"Remind me to hide things better." She rolls her eyes, finishes her tea, and quickly bites into a piece of banana bread that her mother slid towards her.  
"Explain why everything with you always has to be such a battle?" her mother inquires.  
"Because, as you know, I have an incredibly wide independent streak." She sticks out her tongue to punctuate her point. Her mother laughs lightly and collects the plates to put in the dishwasher. "Well, I better get a shower in before bed. I still want to review my notes for Monday's exam.

"Okay honey, you're still coming to the market with me tomorrow morning right?"  
"Oh right! I wanted to be sure to pick up a few things. What time again?"  
"They open at eight, but I think nine-thirty shouldn't be too late to get what I need for Sunday dinner."  
"Okay, sounds good." Mackenzie stands, closes the distance between them and gives her mother another hug. "Good night mom."  
"Night honey. Sleep well."

On her way up to her room, Mackenzie picks up her gym bag and heads up the stairs. Closing the door behind, she quickly shrugs out of her sweaty clothes and places them in a separate pile to put right in the laundry room. Walking around her bedroom naked, she finds her favourite pyjamas and puts them on the counter before stepping into the shower. The hot water runs down her body, caressing her taught form as she lathers herself with softly scented vanilla soap and rinses it off quickly before washing her hair. She relishes in the feeling of the hot water on her muscles, and finally turns the taps off, opens the curtain and grabs her fluffy towel. Running the soft terry cloth over her skin, she still finds that she cannot shut off her mind. Wrapping the towel around her body, she stares at her reflection for a long moment before flossing and brushing her teeth. Then gently put night cream on her face. Finishing by putting her pyjamas on, she turns out the bathroom light as she exits the room and pads across the plush carpet of her bedroom.

Sighing quietly, she turns on her bedside lamp and then turns out the harsh overhead light, before turning the sheets back, she climbs into bed and picks up her notes to review once more. Once the review is to her satisfaction and her mind put to ease, she turns out the light and snuggles into the softness, easily falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to those who have taken the time to read the first chapter of my work-in-progress writing exercise.

Please note that the standard disclaimers apply and can be found in the first chapter heading.

Chapter 2

Monday morning felt oddly cooler than she had thought, but at least they had a more pleasant day with some actual sun. Closing her locker, Mackenzie, Chloe, Emily, and Johanna walk through the bustling hall to find a place to eat lunch and talk.

"So have you decided where you're going?" Emily smiles brightly before biting into her sandwich. Clair approaches with her boyfriend Anthony, an athletic sandy brown-haired boy and they rearrange their seating to accommodate their friend and the group's newest addition.  
"I'm sticking close to home," Johanna answers as she plucks a grape off the vine and pops it in her mouth.  
"So Seacouver U it is?" Emily's smile broadens, "you're only going there because Jay's there, aren't you?"  
"No, I just like the idea of living at home for as long as I can— free food, accommodation, laundry, and the use of the car while I'm in school. Who could complain?" she says waving her fork around in the air, to emphasise her point.  
"Well I can see your point, but we all **know** that you have a thing for Jay." Emily teases and watches the blush that creeps across Johanna's cheeks.

"Man, you guys are terrible." Mackenzie breaks up their teasing.  
"So where are **you** going?" Clair manages through her giggles.  
"UC Sunnydale." Her reply not exactly what they had expected of her. "I did a lot of thinking, you know? A **lot** of research. Weighing the pros and cons— and I have come to the conclusion that it truly is in my best interest. There is this first-year psychology course taught by a Maggie Walsh and I'm really hoping to take it. I hear she's a very interesting professor. And you're not going to believe this!" She pauses to emphasise her point.  
"What?" the girls reply in a chorus.  
"Duncan will be guest lecturing for the year."  
"Really?" Clair cocks an eyebrow and leans forward. "What is **he** lecturing on?" she asks with a tilt of her head and a coy smile.  
"I think he said something about the history of medieval weaponry or something. I know that I will actually have to take that class— and **not** because he's teaching it, but because my mother feels that it's important."  
"That actually sounds like a cool class. And nearly a good enough reason to change schools." Clair adds with a smirk, Mackenzie rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to her lunch.

"So what did you think of that history exam?" Johanna inquires, changing the subject with a sigh of relief.  
"It was pretty easy," Mackenzie replies as she checks her watch. "Oh! I better get going, I have Latin next."  
"I still don't get why you're taking so many languages," Clair says before turning her attention to another group of students that clearly weren't considered popular. "I mean really? You've taken French, Spanish, Latin, and German. Are you planning on Italian anytime soon?"

"Actually, this summer. I'm also studying Greek and I'm looking into the middle languages." She sticks out her tongue and heads back towards the school.  
"Crazy girl." Emily tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear as they watch her go. "I mean really? When will she **ever** use any of those languages?" she says as Johanna bites into a strawberry, "unless of course, she's planning on working for the United Nations or something like that."  
"Wouldn't that be awesome?" Clair smiles broadly, "I've heard that you need to speak at least two of the official languages."  
"Oh, maybe she's thinking about the CIA? I mean really? Having the working knowledge of so many languages would probably be an incredible asset in the interception of coded messages and the like."  
"That would be awesome." Emily turns her attention towards the school for a moment. "And here I am merely thinking of going into law." she sighs wistfully. "Perhaps I ought to reconsider my options. We still have time. I mean, I've only received my acceptance letters— I can take a bit more time before confirming my choice.

"Why don't we get together after school and really go over the majors and course offerings?" Clair suggests which immediately puts Johanna and Emily at ease.  
"Perhaps we could all go to the same school." She adds.  
"Well, I doubt that I could afford to attend UC Sunnydale, the residence costs alone would kill me. I have to work to put enough together for tuition as it is." Johanna sighs, "But maybe we could attend Seacouver U together. That is, of course, that they offer what we all need to get where we want."  
"Agreed— we meet after school and discuss our options." Chloe states and they nod agreement, then pack up their empty lunch containers and head towards the school and their remaining classes.

Standing in front of the mirror examining herself, Mackenzie confirms that all is where it ought to be. A functional ponytail to allow the mortarboard to rest on her head without falling off, her makeup fresh and light, her dress straightened and without any creases. Sighing contently, the feeling of actually being a graduate sinks in. Glancing once more around her room, the realisation of leaving all that she has known for the past eighteen years will be forever changed – not in the least bit negatively, just things will be different.

Despite this realisation, Mackenzie mentally accepts the reality of the changes about to come and she smiles with the gentle tap on her door as her mother enters her room.  
"Honey, you look so beautiful." She smiles proudly and Mackenzie returns her smile, trying not to allow the emotion to show. "Are you ready for the closing of this chapter?"  
"Yes, I actually think I am. And even if I'm not, it's going to happen anyways." She replies and closes the distance between them giving her mother a hug. "Thank you for everything." She whispers.

"You'll make us proud no matter what you do. You've already excelled in so many things. I only wish that I had had your focus when I was young.  
"Mom, I really never had the choice. I'm fortunate enough to have the most amazing parents, friends who may not have a clue what I'm up to— supporting me always, Uncle Joe who has the patience of a saint in trying to train me in my Watcher studies, and Duncan who I'd be dead without his guidance and training. How is dad with that by the way?"  
"You're father knows that he, like you, has no choice in the matter." Her smile is warm and comforting.

"Well, you guys are handling it a heck of a lot better than I am. All the training in the world will never truly prepare me for the reality. Watcher training or physical training aside, I merely have to accept that I am who I am and try to be the best me that I can be; and enjoy every moment. Starting with graduation." She laughs at herself.  
"You've always had that introspection that so many of us could only wish for. Oh, before I forget. This is for you." She holds out a small box and Mackenzie reaches out and accepts it. She slowly frees the small box from the gold paper and opens it. Sitting neatly on a velvet pillow is a white gold chain with a horseshoe pendant with small diamonds.  
"Mom, this is beautiful. Thank you."  
"Happy graduation honey." She takes the gold chain from Mackenzie and easily places it around her neck, fastening it. Exchanging another hug, the clearing of her father's throat breaks their mother-daughter moment.  
"Happy graduation Kenzie! We are so incredibly proud of you and your accomplishments." He steps into her room and embraces his daughter in a tight hug.  
"Thanks, dad. I guess we have to get going." She says squished between her parents in another big hug. "I didn't know our family was **this** emotional." She smiles brightly and they head downstairs to the car.

Mackenzie is grateful for the clear, sunny summer day for Seacouver Secondary Schools outdoor graduation ceremony— which to everyone involved in planning is glad goes off without a hitch. Once the graduates receive their diplomas and all official speeches complete:  
"I would now like to present the graduating class of 1998." The principal announces cheerfully and the students rise to their feet and toss their mortarboards into the air cheering with an enthusiasm that only teens can have when upon the cusp of adulthood— for some further academic endeavours, or entering the workforce, while others will ponder their very existence within the universe itself.

Following the sea of robes exiting the stage to meet and greet with family and friends in the reception area, Mackenzie finds her friends and together they search for their families.  
"Hey, Kenzie! Over here!" her brother hollers, but it wasn't this call that catches her attention, rather the tall Scotchman, his deep chestnut hair in his signature tidy ponytail held in place with a sterling silver Celtic tie. He wears his bright smile and turns from her uncle. Great! The whole family, she muses as she motions for her friends to accompany her so they can get some photos taken.  
"Allow me." Duncan offers, taking the camera from her mother. They did the friend poses first and added family members so that all the girls could share in the memories. "Kenzie, one of you and your parents." He calls after the hugs and families had a moment to have the large group photos taken.  
"I'll email you all of the photos," Mackenzie says lightly, knowing that they would all exchange whatever photos of the day they had over email. Breaking away from the group, Mackenzie and her mother find a quiet place beside a small water feature to have their family photos done. Her father, brother, uncle, and Duncan all take turns with her and then she has a photo taken with her mother, father, and Jason.

"Hey, why don't you get in there and let me take a few?" Clair says with a shy smile. "I couldn't help but notice that Duncan won't be in any of your family photos." She adds.  
"Thanks." Mackenzie smiles gratefully. "Don't forget our weekend plans." She says as she takes the camera form her friend.  
"Oh I wouldn't **dare**!" she replies and hugs her friend once more. "I better get back or my family will wonder where I've gotten to."  
"I can't believe that this is it."  
"Yeah, I know. We survived the hell that is high school. I wonder what the real world has in store for us."  
"Probably the same crap we've been dealing with, but we'll be grown up." Mackenzie and Clair both laugh at the thought, not fully realising how insightful her conceptualisation of what their new reality actually holds for them.

After the weekend slumber party of the century, Monday morning rolls around with very little excitement. Mackenzie sets herself at the kitchen island with a bowl of fruit, some yogurt, a mug of tea and the morning newspaper. She skims through the classifieds for summer employment, but there is little there. Deciding that the internet will better serve her, she notices her mother make her way into the kitchen and fills the coffee carafe.  
"Good morning honey." She could never quite understand how her mother could, without fail be so chipper in the morning. "Are you and Duncan running today?"  
"Yup, and I've decided that I'm going to obtain meaningful summer employment."  
"No, you're not. You have your summer studies. Not to mention your Watcher and physical training."  
"Mom! How do you expect me to pay for my lodgings, food, supplies, and tuition?"  
"Just leave all that to your father and I."  
"But?"  
"Sweetie, you have truly earned it. Plus, how do you expect to continue to excel in your studies if you have to further divide your time?"

"While I would normally say that you have a valid point, I have to argue against it."  
"Then you'll just get a tiny part-time job at the bookstore. Just enough hours for pocket money, okay?"  
"Are you sure that he'll allow that?"  
"We kind of already talked about it. I was afraid that you might want to add another activity to your already crammed schedule. I know that you can handle it, but I would much rather you commit yourself to what's truly important right now. You'll have plenty of time to work— once you've completed your education and get out in the field."  
"Again mom, I would normally argue against you. But I'm actually inclined to agree with your reasoning. At least at this time, but is it so wrong for me to want to at the very least appear **normal**?"  
"I know. So don't stress yourself out about finding a job. Finish your breakfast and take a few minutes to relax before training. Before you know it, the summer will be over and you'll be moving into your own place."

"It isn't really **mine** though," Mackenzie states as she takes another sip of tea. Her mother shakes her head, knowing how impossible it is to reason with her daughter once she has specific ideas in her head.  
"Once you see your Watcher's salary, you'll be more than able to manage." Mackenzie smiles and gets up to put her dishes in the dishwasher.  
"Thanks for everything mom. Oh, I happened to look at the course selection and I figure that if I major in linguistics with a minor in history I can use social sciences and sciences as my electives. So I'm glad that I didn't fight UC Sunnydale after all."  
"I knew that you'd find a way to get what you wanted." Her mother winks at her and she bounds out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom to dress for the day.

The loud ring of the doorbell resonates throughout the house and Mackenzie quickly makes her way downstairs, pulling her ponytail into place. Opening the door open, she smiles at the man standing in front of her— Duncan dressed in grey sweatpants, a navy t-shirt, and black Nike running shoes.  
"Good morning. Are we starting with a run?" she inquires and he nods.  
"I thought that seeing it is such a beautiful day, we could run through the park before hitting the dojo to train."  
"What's on the training agenda today?"  
"I figured that some hand-to-hand is in order. Then I'd like to start you on the Katana." Her eyes nearly bug out of her head. "Well you are competent in a variety of swords at this time— the rapier, sabre, fencing foil, and long sword. I want you to have the chance to actually decide what you would like to work with yourself. I know you might just think the Katana and that's it, but you may find that you are more comfortable with another sword. We'll keep training until you find the one that best suits you— more specifically, your personal fighting style." He adds as she grabs her gym bag and a light jacket in case it gets chilly or decides to rain.  
"See you later mom!" she calls loudly.  
"Okay, call if you'll be missing dinner." Her mother's request one they were both used to hearing.  
"Will do!" she should back as she closes the door behind her. She puts her bag in the trunk and they drive to the park for their run.

Halfway into their run, Mackenzie notices the beauty that surrounds them— something she hadn't had the time to actually enjoy when everything in her world had the tendency to fly by. Be it school, training, or spending time with her friends, which she quickly realises was generally spent indoors shopping or gossiping about things that truly didn't matter. As she ran, her mind slowly clears itself of the quasi-juvenile thoughts of high school and she allows her thoughts to shift towards that of the independent woman she has always aspired of becoming. She realises that her training and education will defiantly assist in the matter— what she hadn't planned on was the complications of real **life** getting in the way of what she thought had been **well-established goals**.

"Kenzie, we're here." Duncan's voice breaks through her thoughts and she slows down, then stops. In front of them is a bubbling brook, the water flowing freely cradled gently by the soft banks and caressing the rocks that peek up from what appears to be their strategically placed locations. Mother Nature is awesome, she sighs contently.  
"Where is here exactly? I don't ever recall seeing this." She cannot wipe the huge grin from her lips. " **This is beautiful**."  
"Isn't it? I stumbled upon it a few weeks ago and thought that you would like a bit of a reward. You're always going a mile a minute and it occurs to me that you don't take the time to truly enjoy your surroundings."  
"I would have to say that that's not entirely true. While I realise that I have engaged in what can only be defined as genuine, teenage girl behaviour, I enjoy the simple things."  
"Like what, for example?" he pushes.  
"I enjoy sunsets and when I've pulled an all-nighter— sunrises are pretty darn nice too." She places a smug expression on her face. "Oh and there's always the time spent at the family cabin. I **love** to sit on the dock, dip my bare toes into the lake and just watch as the sun sinks behind the tree line. There is nothing quite like that." Her smile reflecting the memories she no doubt holds near to her heart.

"I know it probably isn't quite what you expected from me, but for me sometimes just spending time on my own away from the craziness that usually surrounds me is a treat worth taking advantage of."  
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm so glad that you do manage to take some time out for **normal** things."  
"If memory serves, wasn't it you who once said that I needed to **slow down** a bit?"  
"I suppose. I'm just surprised that you took it to heart." His accent is as soothing as the brook. They take in their surrounding for a moment longer before silently agreeing to make the trek back to the car.  
"The Katana is waiting!" Mackenzie declares enthusiastically, making a mad dash to the parking lot, Duncan not far behind.  
"Hand-to-hand first!" he reminds her as they enter the dojo.  
"Right, immortal self-defence training, then Watcher training this evening." She sighs with a smile. "I can hardly wait for all this training to be over."  
"It never will be. At least not the immortal stuff." He puts his bag on a nearby bench.

"So Watcher training will end when I've received an assignment and I'm in the field."  
"That you have to clear with Joe." He explains as they get their water bottles and towels ready. "Better stretch again, make sure you're limber enough—don't want to pull or strain a muscle." He instructs as she quickly warms up before stretching her long limbs.  
"Ready?" he returns and they head towards a sparring space, blue mats placed together to create some cushion for whoever was going to hit the deck. She nods and they assume their fighting stances.  
"You're dropping your shoulder." He instructs as she straightens and attempts the same move. "That's better." His smile affirms her correction. Another half an hour passes and they move onto the Katana. Duncan makes his way to the case and retrieves the Japanese sword.  
"Folded seven hundred times, yes?" she says as she watches him wield the beautifully crafted ivory-handled blade. He holds it out towards her. She carefully accepts as she has done countless times before with others. Wow, she cannot stop herself from feeling a bit overwhelmed by the experience. Duncan stands closely and she can feel his breath on her skin as he carefully moves her body into the correct stance.

"There," he stands back satisfied, "how does that feel?"  
"Different." She replies honestly with the realisation that it is indeed quite different from what she had been used to in the past. "I see why you left this one for last." She grins.  
"There are many more. I just thought that you were ready to give it a try." He quickly retrieves his sword and stands beside her. "Now we begin." He moves with a power and grace so natural that she wonders if she will ever be as confident in her own abilities. Her doubts are quickly halted, as Duncan begins to instruct her in a kata— a choreographed pattern of movements that instils the proper technique in the individual, by linking together a series of strikes and parries. Mackenzie follows his graceful movements, enjoying the feeling that resonates throughout her body. And Duncan is not in the least surprised with her ease in picking up the fluidity of the movements while maintaining control and demonstrating her ability to learn quickly.

Bowing their mutual respect, Duncan smiles approvingly as he gently takes her blade, she heads towards their water bottles and returns handing him his.  
"That was," she pauses trying to find the right words, "utterly amazing." Her smile reminds him of the first time Richie attempted the rapier— the sword that would become his choice, and he knew in an instant that Mackenzie had found hers in the katana. He wanted to tease her, see if she would admit to it, but somehow it didn't feel right.  
"So when are we going shopping?" his question taking her off guard. She couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort with the blade— it had perfect balance and grace that felt totally right.  
"I highly doubt my mother will be willing to allow me to invest in a sword Duncan. I mean, I know that it is part of my pending immortality, but won't she have a total cow?"  
"Well actually," he moves towards the case he had placed the blade not long after their katas. "This is yours." He presents her with the case.  
"You're kidding, right?" she gasps in disbelief.  
"I had a feeling that this might be your preferred method of self-defence, should there ever come a day when you enter the game. Until then, consider it a gift for all of your hard work." His smile is contagious as she accepts the case and looks at the beautiful blade nestled within the deep navy velvet.

She runs her finger over the ivory carved grip, a dragon's head on the pommel similar to Duncan's.  
"Are you serious?" she can hardly contain herself, shock and utter disbelief was written on her face. He nods his ascent.  
"Your mother and Joe insisted that I do what I could to help you find your way. This is one of the ways I knew I could help." He chuckles softly as she closes the case.  
"The scabbard is under the velvet. I'll teach you how to look after it properly. Once you have completed your full training, you will have to learn how to keep it concealed. Should you ever become an immortal, it is imperative that you have a means in which to defend yourself against other immortals."  
"First of all, I want to remain mortal for as **long** as I possibly can."  
"I know— your mother and father, as well as Joe, know you're pretty darn stubborn; however, you never know what your future holds." He takes a generous gulp of water from his water bottle and Mackenzie closes the case and places it down on the bench beside her. "I guess I should get you home for dinner?"

"Oh right! I have Watcher study after. You know it's never as fun as this." They have a good laugh while tidying the dojo, she packs her gym bag and they head to his car. "Too bad you couldn't help me with that too! Uncle Joe is great, don't get me wrong, but holy cow! Do you think university is going to be as boring?"  
"I wouldn't know. I have several lectures already planned. Should I practice them out on you first?" they place her bag in the trunk and quickly makes his way to open the passenger door for her.

"Thanks and please don't. I've enrolled in your course."  
"Why did you do that?" he inquires as they approach an intersection.  
"Oh well, it was at the same time as the introduction to psychology."  
"Professor Walsh's class? And I'm guessing it was full."  
"Yeah, so I figured why not take your class? I won't trip you up, I promise. I'll just sit in the middle somewhere. Besides, you have a TA right?"  
"Yes, so it shouldn't be a conflict of interest." She nods, not sure whether or not he sees or senses her response. "So what courses are you taking?"  
"If memory serves, I'm taking a linguistics course. A few history courses, your class of course, and the mandatory course in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences."  
"Is it just me, or are you nuts with making sure your plate is completely full?"  
"I also want to take summer school, but I have to work out the details. You know? Be sure to have some time to visit family and hang with friends."  
"So despite the fact that you're jam-packed, you are somehow seeking balance?"  
"Exactly." She replies happily.

"What if you should happen to meet someone?"  
"I'll just have to carefully fit him into everything else that I'm doing. I think the first week is Frosh Week, so I'm going to try and take advantage of the social gatherings and whatnot. Not too many of course, just enough to be seen, you know?"  
"Yes, I do. I've seen many try the balance thing and fail. Just know that if you ever need someone to just vent to, I'll be there." He smiles pulling into the driveway.  
"My parents are going to flip when they see this!" she exclaims.  
"They understand the training that you have mastered, so this isn't going to be a surprise." She nods while removing her seatbelt. Duncan removes his seatbelt as well and they go collect her bag and case from the trunk.  
"Would you like to join us for dinner? Perhaps you could stay and see what torture I endure for my Watcher training?"  
"Perhaps you should check with your mom first."  
"Come on! You'll be my guest." Without thought, she grabs his hand and pulls him up the steps to the front door. Mackenzie quickly slips the key into the lock and opens the door, stepping in she drops her gym bag on the floor under the hall table and carefully sets the case on the table before removing her shoes. Duncan follows suit and they head to the kitchen.

"Hey, mom." She greets her mother with a kiss on the cheek.  
"Duncan! What a lovely surprise." Her mother smiles while checking on the roast. "Will you be joining us for dinner? I think Joe will be here as well. Mackenzie, you have Watcher training tonight, don't you?"  
"Yes, mom." She fake rolls her eyes. "Oh, would it be okay if Duncan grabbed a quick shower before dinner? We left the dojo in a bit of a hurry to get home on time."  
"Yes, of course, honey. There are fresh towels in the upstairs bathroom."  
"Great!" she turns on her heels and pulls Duncan along with her, they retrieve their gym bags on the way upstairs. She leads him to the bathroom and enters first to pull the fresh towels from the cabinet.  
"Thank you." He places his bag on the marble countertop smiling.  
"No problem. I totally forgot about post-workout sweaty grossness." She replies making her way past him through the door and down the hall to her bedroom. "Catch you on the other side." She adds as he closes the door behind her.

Closing her bedroom door, she goes straight to her dresser and pulls out a fresh bra and panty set, socks and a t-shirt. She then saunters over to the closet and selects a pair of black casual pants and a cardigan. On her way to her bathroom, she pulls the elastic, freeing her hair and places it on the countertop. It is a quick shower and she stands in front of the mirror and quickly towel dries her hair and tames the loose waves into a braid. Dressing, she double checks her reflection in the full-length mirror in her bedroom to be sure she isn't a mess and makes her way back downstairs to find Duncan in the kitchen talking with her mother and Uncle Joe. As if they sense her entrance, they immediately stop their conversation.

"Hey there!" she says making her way to her uncle and hugging him tightly.  
"Kenzie!" he returns her embrace and she sits at the island beside Duncan. "So I hear you have exceeded Duncan's expectations. Not that I wouldn't expect anything else." He winks as her mother finishes with making dinner.  
"Mom, I'll set the table." She offers and moves to get the plates, stemware, and silverware.  
"Thanks, honey." Her mother always enjoys having large dinner crowds. "You're father's home. I think he's in the den with Jason."  
"I'll go say hey first then." It always amazes Duncan how young girls, who always appear to want to be more sophisticated than they actually are, can bound from point "A" to "B" with such ease. She pauses on the threshold, finding her father and brother deep in conversation. What is it with the seriousness? She muses.

"Hey dad!" she happily makes her way to her father and quickly hugs him tightly. Jason shakes his head with the 'suck up' expression on his face. "Duncan and Uncle Joe are here for dinner tonight." She informs them.  
"Sounds like a full house this evening." He smiles and glances quickly at Jason, who is getting up.  
"I should help mom." He reaches out and touches Mackenzie's shoulder.  
"I was just going to set the table." She says, knitting her brows together a bit.  
"Don't worry about it Kenzie. I got it." He leaves them alone to talk before dinner.  
"Okay, dad. What's going on?" she inquires a bit nervous.  
"Nothing for you to worry about." He replies casually.  
"It doesn't quite look like nothing."

"You have way too much on your plate right now to be worrying about nothing." He smiles and stands. "Let's join them in the kitchen. And by the way, congratulations on choosing your sword." The look on her face is beyond priceless and her father cannot suppress the deep chuckle.  
"How? You Knew?" her eyes widen in shock and disbelief.  
"Honey, you're going to be a Watcher. That in itself is an honour, a history that I hope you respect. I happened to be talking with your mother and found out that you're a potential immortal as well. I'm not sure I've fully processed the implications, as I am sure you're well aware of the ins and outs; and right now I just want my little girl to be safe. If that means training with Duncan to ensure that, then that's what we're going to have you continue to do." He places his arm around her and gently squeezes her shoulder in a manner that helps illustrate his point. Mackenzie lets out the breath that she hadn't realised she had been holding. They wander to the kitchen to join the gathering.

Another wonderful meal with family, Mackenzie is almost sad that it has to end and she and Joe will retire to the study for her Watcher studies.  
"Are you sure you wouldn't like a cup of coffee? Or Tea perhaps?" she asks Duncan as he helps her clear the table.  
"I can see what you're trying to do." He shakes his head with a warm smile and she merely rolls her eyes and turns back to rinsing the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.  
"Aren't we going to discuss a training schedule?" she smiles innocently.  
"Well, you and Joe get your Watcher studies done for this evening. Tomorrow is your off day if you like we can meet and discuss a few things then?" he suggests.  
"That sounds good. I still have to work out when I have to move and all that jazz. Oh! Have you decided what you'll be doing?" she inquires as she closes the dishwasher and leans against the counter.  
"I'll let you in on that tomorrow. I should have an answer this evening if I'm lucky." He replies as she plucks the washcloth from the sink and begins wiping the countertop. "Don't forget to schedule something fun for yourself this weekend. That's one of the main reasons I want you to have a rest day." He adds with a wink.

"Well, I usually end up studying. You do realise that I'm working on languages right?"  
"And the reason being?" he cocks a deep chocolate brow.  
"I thought it would help with reading the Watcher's journals. To truly understand what it means to be an immortal." She replies. "Besides, you never know when Aramaic, Babylonian, or something like that might come in handy."  
"You already speak how many languages?"  
"Only a few." She replies splashing water at him.  
"Hey!"  
"What?"  
"Kenzie I saw that!" Jason smirks as he sets the placemats on the counter beside the sink to be shaken.  
"Saw what?" she innocently turns to help with getting the crumbs off the mats.  
"Thanks. Joe is in the study with dad. He's ready to begin your lesson."  
"Okay, be right there. Duncan, we'll finish this discussion tomorrow. Say around two at Starbucks?"  
"Sounds like a plan." He replies as she quickly hugs him, turns on her heel and makes her way to the study.

"I'm all ready for today's lesson," Mackenzie announces her entrance as she steps into the handsomely decorated room. She cannot help but think of how it always makes her feel as though she's just stepped out of one time period into another. The deep mahogany furnishings, floor to ceiling bookcases line two walls, large windows with velvet cushions, silk pillows, and deep hunter green drapes, French doors that open to the side garden, an Italian marble fireplace over which a family portrait hangs. The grandiose desk sits proudly as the focal point of the room, a Persian rug over the deep hardwood floor and leather club chairs with a small coffee table sit in front of the fireplace. Joe occupies a chair in front of her father's desk as her father sits and shuffles through some papers.  
"Mackenzie, it's all yours." He smiles broadly and tucks the files under his arm.  
"Thanks, dad. I'll see you later?"  
"Of course, there's a CSI marathon or something on tonight." He can't help the proud smile as he closes the door behind, leaving them to their lesson. Mackenzie sighs loudly crossing her arms across her chest and leaning against the grand desk.

"So where are we starting?" she inquires waiting for direction.  
"You have done all your readings— we have gone through the handbook time and again. Let's see." Joe rises from the chair he occupied and begins to pace. "How are your language studies coming along?"  
"Actually, quite well Uncle. I have managed to translate two Watcher journals. There is an odd common factor among them." She pauses. "I've heard of Methos, but honestly thought that he was just a myth— a legend if you will. However, both texts make reference to said immortal. They cite him as being the oldest known and perhaps even first known immortal."  
"Ah yes, Methos. I thought you would eventually come across him."  
"Why have you never mentioned him before?" she gives him 'that look', only a look uniquely hers, one he has yet to truly figure out. He had never seen his sister give him that look and thought perhaps it was one of her father's.  
"That's one of the mean reasons for giving you those texts." He says casually.

"Uncle Joe, when will my Watcher training be complete?"  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He smiles brightly. In that moment she knows that something very interesting is about to happen.  
"Well, seeing that you have excelled in your studies, I have put in a request to the Watchers Council that you begin your career in the research department. That way, you're not in the field; and you'll be able to continue your education."  
"Are you serious?" she exclaims happily.  
"That's what I was discussing with your father. You're mother and I both feel that you are more than well-equipped and he also agrees, that providing it doesn't interfere with your studies, training, and yes; your social life, you ought to have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the Watchers Council. That way you will be able to enjoy any opportunity that may arise." Joe smiles proudly as she springs from her perch against the desk and launches herself into his arms.

"Oh my goodness! Thank you!" she shrieks happily. "So does that conclude this evening's lesson?"  
"Well, my dear. I believe it does. But that doesn't give you the leeway to shirk your duty. You will, of course, continue in your studies and more importantly, your training with Duncan. I want to make sure that you are safe." Joe's voice betrays him slightly as she pulls gently from his embrace and kisses his cheek.  
"I'll always be careful. And just know I won't let you down. I'm dismissed right?" her question answered with a curt nod.  
"Take some time for yourself tonight." He says with a twinkle in his eyes. She bounds towards the door and opens it with such gusto that Joe wonders if it will pull away from the hinges as she happily makes her way upstairs to her bedroom for some much-deserved personal time.

"I gather your lesson went well?" her mother says quietly from the door.  
"Janelle, you know your daughter almost better then she knows herself." He replies with a grin.  
"Thank you for all of your time and effort to prepare her for her role. I know that she will step confidently into it."  
"You know she will." He says as she nods her ascent. "Besides, I will do my best to keep tabs on her." He winks as they exit the office.  
"Are you sure you won't have a cup of coffee or something? She asks as they walk into the foyer.  
"I'm good thanks. I better head over to the bar though. I have a set tonight."  
"Yes of course. We will further discuss the move."  
"Come by tomorrow and we'll work out the kinks. I managed to also procure a one bedroom loft in the complex, so I will be nearby should she need help. Although I have the sneaking suspicion that she will be just fine. You and Tony have raised her to be an independent young woman, and I'm sure that she will get through whatever life throws at her."  
"I cannot help but worry about the immortal thing."  
"I wouldn't. She seems hell-bent on maintaining her mortality." He replies as he opens the door. "Just know that she'll be fine whatever happens." He adds, quickly hugging her. "Good night."  
"Good night Joe." She watches as he makes his way, cane in hand, down the steps towards his car, gets in and drives off before closing the door.

The next morning, Mackenzie awakens with the warmth of the sun caressing her face through the open curtains. Through her smile, she cannot help but wonder if she had closed them last night as she rolls onto her side and checks the time on the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table. While it would probably be a good idea to go for an early morning run, she decides to get up and make pancakes for breakfast instead. Tossing the comforter and sheets from her body, she swings her legs over the edge of the bed and sits up. Standing, she stretches and quietly pads to her bathroom to perform her regular morning ritual before heading downstairs to the kitchen.  
"Something smells absolutely delish!" Jason exclaims as he heads to the fridge for a glass of orange juice. "You want?" he asks hoping to score a pancake in return.  
"Sure, you want?" she knows the game and expertly slides the pancake from the pan onto a plate. She sets it on the island counter and he grabs utensils for them and sets the glasses of juice along with the utensils on the countertop. She ladles a generous helping of batter into the hot pan as Jason sits and loads butter on the pancake, then syrup.  
"I'll make eggs and some bacon once we've had our pancakes. That way you don't have to do **all** the cooking." He says as she flips the pancake.  
"That sounds good." She replies and finishes, slides the fluffy pancake onto the plate and sets it at her place.

"So big plans for the day?" he inquires before shoving another buttery, syrupy bite into his mouth.  
"I'm meeting Duncan for coffee to discuss moving plans and whatnot." She replies casually.  
"Where are you going to train?"  
"I suppose at the university until we can find a more suitable location." Her reply is simple and she watches as he gets up, makes his way to the fridge to gather the bacon and eggs.  
"Toast too?" he grabs the loaf of bread before she can answer, puts four slices into the toaster slots, and presses the lever. She just rolls her eyes and at his assumption. "Sounds like a good idea." He manages with a laugh.  
"I forgot to mention that my official Watcher training is **finally over**!"  
"Really? That's a good thing right?"  
"Yeah, no more boring stuff. I get to do research now." He lays bacon in one pan and cracks eggs into another.  
"That sounds really interesting, so you're not in the field yet?"  
"Thankfully no." Her reply came as a surprise to him.  
"I thought you'd want to get out there and do your thing."  
"Well, at first I did— I do, I just want a chance to be **normal**. Get through my studies first, you know?"

"See?"  
"See what?"  
"You are **way** smarter than I." His laugh is contagious. "I'm so glad that you're going to be the Watcher in the family. I don't think I could take the pressure."  
"Geez, thanks." She sighs and they eat the rest of breakfast. "Oh, are you shooting hoops today?"  
"Nope, just chilling." He replies happily. "Isn't that something you're supposed to be doing?" he says as he takes a gulp of orange juice.  
"I guess. It's just that I find that my mind doesn't quite cooperate with that concept very well."  
"Just find a good book and park it by the pool."  
"Actually, a swim does sound like a good idea." Her lips curl into a crooked smile.  
"I didn't say swim. I said **vegetate by the pool**. You know? In a chaise lounge, a good book, sunscreen, a big bouncy hat, your huge sunglasses that nearly cover your face and perhaps a tall glass of iced tea?"  
"Hey, I get the concept." Her smile broadens and she tries to think of how to fit it into her day. "Just not exactly sure I can manage that today is all." She sighs and finishes her breakfast.

"I got it." He reaches across for her plate and glass."  
"Thanks." She gets up and heads upstairs to get ready for the day. In her mind, Mackenzie goes over what she wants to get done; and finds herself wondering if its' entirely possible to achieve balance in her bursting with activity life. Sure, I can do anything I set my mind to— she muses happily as she brushes her teeth, washes her face, and plugs in the flatiron. Running straitening serum over her thick hair, she rinses her hands before picking up the flatiron and running it slowly, deliberately down her shoulder-length locks. She quickly finishes and glances at her reflection once more to be sure that she's satisfied with the result. Perfect, she thinks to herself as she walks into her bedroom to make the bed and dress for the day. She opens her dresser drawer to pluck a cute matching set of undergarments and turns her attention to the closet where she pulls out a clean pair of dark jeans, a black tank top, and a crisp Oxford shirt and quickly dresses.

Mackenzie bounds down the stairs and nearly runs into her mother.  
"Hey mom, are you going to the market this morning?"  
"I thought that I would pick up a few things. I have a new recipe that I want to try for dinner tonight." She replies as she opens her purse and retrieves her wallet to check if she needs to stop at the bank on the way. "Did you want to join me?"  
"Mother-daughter time is always great. You know that mom." She retrieves her purse from the hook under her light jacket as they head out the door. On their way to the market, Mackenzie's mind starts to wonder— she attempts to mentally articulate her thoughts and feelings about moving to Sunnydale.  
"Mom." She says finally breaking the silence.  
"Yes, honey?"  
"May I ask you something?"  
"Of course Maxi." She replies, using a nickname that she hasn't used in quite a while which makes the whole process that much more difficult.  
"Wow! There's a nickname I haven't heard in a very long time." She pauses and recalls the origin of the nickname— it happened to come from a soap opera that she used to like when she was in junior high school and her wanting to be a fashion designer like the character on the show. "Anyways," she begins "this condo in Sunnydale?"

"Is Yours. Your father and I thought that it would be good for you to have a place of your own. Somewhere you will feel safe and comfortable. We looked at the studio flats, the one bedroom lofts, but somehow felt that you needed a larger space. I know that it's a bit overwhelming to suddenly find yourself alone. But really you're not." She pulls up to an intersection and slows the SUV to a stop.  
"Uncle Joe found a loft in the complex." Her mother nods her ascent. "But isn't it unfair to Jason?"  
"Not in the least. Honey, don't worry." Her mother turns into the parking lot and pulls into a vacant spot. "You're father and I want to make things a bit easier for you. You have done an amazing job with your academic studies, your Watcher duty and your training."

Mom, please don't be offended, but I was thinking." She pauses and undoes the seatbelt. "I'm technically employed by the Watchers Council. I will be receiving a wage."  
"You can use that for whatever you want sweetie." Her mother removes her seatbelt and opens the door, Mackenzie follows and they head towards the main doors to the market.  
"But mom, I want to put something towards the condo." She states, her independent streak emerging.

"Why don't you wait and see whether you like it or not."

"All this wait and see is absolutely **killing** me!" she exclaims dramatically with a hand on her forehead.  
"Just think of it this way. You've more than earned it."  
"Fine, I'll leave this conversation as it is. At this point, I shall merely agree to disagree." She gives her mother one of her million watt smiles. "I'm going to check out the jewellery." She declares happily. "Where shall I meet you?"  
"I'll come find you and then we'll take our purchases home and go out for lunch?"  
"That sounds like a really awesome plan. And mom?"  
"Yes?"  
"Maybe when I get back from coffee, I can help with dinner?"  
"Of course." Her mother replies as they part ways.

Thankfully, the nice weather held as Mackenzie pulls into a parking slot nearby the Starbucks. She walks briskly down the crowded street towards the coffeehouse. At least we can sit outside for a change, she thinks as she smiles brightly when she sees Duncan waiting for her just outside the patio.  
"Hey." She tilts her head up to see his expression better. He's smiling as usual.  
"Hey. Shall we?" he gently cups her elbow and leads her inside, holding the door for her. They stand quietly in line perusing the overhead menu and order their beverages.  
"Would it be okay if we sat outside?" she inquires, he nods his response and they make their way to the outdoor patio. While she wears her oversized sunglasses, he wears a pair that suits his strong features— she knows that she will not be able to hide anything from him. Besides her family, he knew her better than anyone.

"So let's cut right to it." She says as they settle themselves in their seats— she places her coffee on the table. "I'm sure that you know exactly what the situation is." Duncan sits back comfortably in his seat.  
"I hadn't realised that you were looking into buying another dojo with a loft. I thought that you might stay with me until you found what you wanted. Not that I want to cramp your style or anything like that." She adds.  
"Actually, I'm going to stay with Joe for about a month or so— while the renovations are completed." He picks up the tall paper cup and sips the hot liquid carefully to avoid scalding his lips and mouth.  
"Oh. I see." Her voice falters a bit.  
"I spoke with your parents and Joe about it. We just think its best that you continue to maintain your independence. I really don't want you to become so dependent on anyone that you lose a sense of who you are. Always remember that you are an amazing, strong, ambitious young woman."

"But it's a three bedroom condo. Isn't it a little big for little me? And isn't it on the expensive side for my parents to say, 'here sweetie, you earned it'?"  
"While I have to agree with you on that point, I also agree with them in wanting you to have a place in which you can settle comfortably." He pauses in thought and leans in towards her. "Believe me when I say this. You'll love it. And once you're settled in, you'll quickly agree with them." She smiles and reaches out across the table to squeeze his hand to let him know that his words have reassured her in the next steps of her journey.

Arriving home, Mackenzie shrugs out of her light jacket, hangs it on the hook along with her purse and heads to the kitchen to see if her mother needs her help with preparing dinner.  
"How was coffee?"  
"Great! I get it now. Thanks, mom." She hugs her mother before turning around to wash her hands, "What can I do?"


	3. Chapter 3

All disclaimers can be found in the header of the first chapter.

When you're young there is a bittersweet irony of summer's ability to fly right by. For Mackenzie, the magic of summer quickly fades with the immediate reality of packing and preparing for the move – a far more lengthy and emotional experience than she had anticipated or wanted to admit. Placing items into another box, Mackenzie feels an unnatural division between various life experiences – various memories to be shipped off to a new unfamiliar location. Nay, she muses. A new place, a wonderful blank page in which to create new memories. New experiences with new people in new places- at least that was the logic that she wished to apply. Sitting on the floor in the middle of her room, surrounded by boxes while deciding whether or not she truly needed everything.

With the last of the boxes carefully labelled and on their way out of the room, Mackenzie takes a long last moment to scan the room to ensure that she leaves nothing behind in what had been her sanctuary. Smiling, she recalls her bedroom as the one place she ran to whenever things got a little too hard – the only place she could feel that her thoughts were truly safe, contained and undiscoverable by others. Wow, she muses, this is it! Standing, she takes in the quiet, now empty space. I'm really going to miss this room, she smiles to herself as she takes a final breath before turning on her heel and closing the door to her Seacouver memories.

"Kenzie, you'll be absolutely fine. I have all of the confidence in you and your ability." Jason says with a wink and opens his arms for the last affectionate brotherly hug. "I will miss you; however, I'm taking over your room."  
"In my worst nightmares!" she says playfully, elbowing him in the ribs.  
"That's my sister!" he walks her downstairs. "Sorry that I can't join you guys and help you get settled in your new place. I'm sure Duncan and Joe will be able to handle it with mom and dad." She nods in agreement and takes one last breath of all familiar to her, and heads towards the door. "This isn't goodbye, you know?"  
"Yeah, I know. It's the 'I'll see you soon'.'" She opens the door and prepares herself to take her first real step into the 'real world'—the world that lay beyond the safety of her parents, of Duncan and even her uncle.

Her parents patiently wait for her to emerge from the house, knowing like with everything not to rush her. When she finally emerges, they smile warmly and beckon her towards her SUV. It will be a bit of a drive and she's rather surprised that they want to actually drive her there, leave her car and return home by train—she quickly decides that it's only because they want to be sure that she gets properly settled in before school starts. Whoa, school starting, she stares out the window and watches as the familiar scenery of Seacouver passes by in a blur. In response, Mackenzie closes her eyes and allows her head to rest against the window – Far too excited to sleep the previous night and getting in as much mother-daughter time, they sat up late talking and eating junk food.

They arrive in Roseburg Oregon and Mackenzie's father pulls into a small diner for a late lunch stop and gas the SUV. Shrugging out of her seatbelt, Makenzie opens the door, careful so as not to fall out after sitting for so long. Once on solid ground, she watches as her father drives to the gas pump before following her mother towards the diner to wait for Joe and Duncan to catch up.

"Mom, are you sure about all of this?" she suddenly feels as though she has officially come to her senses. "I sure as heck don't feel like it." She adds with a sigh as she crosses her arms loosely across her chest.  
"Honey, no matter what, we all have to take steps forward that force us to grow up a little more."  
"Why does everyone have so much confidence in me? I mean, I hardly have any in myself."  
"Remember you are an intelligent, bright, spirited young woman, who can and will do whatever she sets her mind to. Look at what you've already accomplished." She pauses for a moment in thought. "Oh, I know that they are a world away, Maxi— but they sure know that you're one to watch!" referring to the Watchers Council sitting in Paris France. Her mother drapes an arm around her. "Come on honey, shoulders square, your usual charming smile and your wicked sense of humour **will** get you through anything. Just think. It already has."

"Thanks, mom, but seriously. Can I please come home? I'll go to Seacouver U or somewhere, anywhere but not this far away. I didn't realise just how far away Sunnydale actually is from home."  
"I don't usually like pushing my children out of the nest, but in your case, you were born ready to fly." Mackenzie tilts her head just as her father joins them. "Besides, wasn't this a conversation we should have had earlier?"  
"Perhaps—but really mom, do you honestly believe that I would admit to such feelings?"  
"I know."  
"So what am I missing?" her father inquires as Duncan pulls into the gas station and he and Joe get out of the jet-black Ford Thunderbird convertible. While Duncan fills the tank, Joe stretches and hobbles, cane in hand towards them.  
"So what are we having for lunch?" he asks as they wait for Duncan to finish and join them.  
"It's an all-day breakfast." Her father, Tony, states with a wink. "I'll have the pancakes with bacon and potatoes."  
"Dad! I would rather a sandwich or a salad." She shakes her head and opens the door for them to enter.

"How many?" a waitress appears from nowhere.  
"Five," Tony replies.  
"A booth okay?"  
"Sure." They follow the slender waitress to a booth beside the large picture window.  
"Our soup of the day is cream of broccoli. Our special is the triple deck BLT served with fresh fries and slaw; we have the all-day breakfast, and cherry pie, peach cobbler, or apple strudel for dessert." She sets menus in front of them.

"Would you mind bringing us two pots of coffee and milk please?" Tony says with a pleasant smile. While they are, for the most part, tea drinkers, establishments like this could easily ruin a good cup of tea.

"Sure, I'll be right back with that. Water as well?" he nods and she turns towards the counter to prepare the request.

They open their menus and take a moment to decide before she returns with what she obviously thought to be an odd request.  
"Are we ready to order?"  
"Yes." Everyone replies on the same wavelength.  
"Okay, so what will you have?" pulling the pen from her hair as she opens the small pad from the pocket in her apron.  
"I'll have the triple deck BLT," Mackenzie says with a bright smile. "What?" she looks around the table. "I decided that one bad meal isn't going to kill me, per se."  
"Oh yeah right!" Duncan shakes his head.  
"Well, that sounds good. I'll have one of those as well. But add a soup with mine please." She scribbles Duncan's request.  
"The egg salad wrap and fruit salad." Janelle puts the menu down in front of her.  
"Turkey club with fries, please. And would you please add a side of potato salad and a bit of slaw."  
"You got it." She turns towards Tony, who appears to be torn between two choices.  
"The beef dip sandwich with fries and slaw." He closes the menu and the waitress collects them before heading to the kitchen.

Their conversation remains lively as they wait for their orders surrounding the expectations of Mackenzie's studies, her Watcher training, and her training with Duncan.  
"I assure you, dad, that you needn't worry unnecessarily about me." She smiles as their food arrives, thank goodness, she thinks to herself. For a small mom and pop diner, the food appears delicious. "I'll be sure that I keep in touch with you and mom. I just had a minor freak out talking to mom earlier is all, but you know what? It's all good— it will all be just fine." Her smile reassures her parents, illustrating that she has clearly accepted her duty and all that it entailed. And that she would continue to make them proud. Duncan and Joe finish their meals and Duncan excuses himself for a moment.  
"Joe?"  
"Ready." He replies and, with a curt nod, make their way to the waiting car.  
"We'll meet you there," Duncan adds with a grin.

Mackenzie and her parents finish their meals, their conversation pleasant. After freshening up, they head back to the SUV and back to the highway. Mackenzie finally checks her phone to see if anyone has called or texted her— a slew of texts that would have to go unanswered until she has the time to properly reply to her friends inquires.

Upon arriving in Sunnydale, Mackenzie still napped while Tony navigated through unfamiliar streets to the condominium townhome complex. Slowly opening her eyes, she stares out the window for a moment, gathering herself before removing her seatbelt, opening the door, and carefully getting out.  
"Whoa!" the only words she allows escape her cotton candy floss flavoured glossed lips as she follows her parents into the main quad. The movers are already busy, carrying her belongings into one of the townhomes. "This is quite lovely." She exclaims with more enthusiasm and they make their way to the front door. "This is mine?" she says taking everything in. Her mother produces a key and ceremoniously places a key into the palm of her daughter's hand. "Again, all I can say is whoa." She makes her way across the threshold, the door propped open to allow the movers an easier time with the move.

Her smile widens when she notices the colour choice— while she may not have had an official say in the colour pallet, her mother knew exactly what she would want and had the painters work their magic perfectly.  
"Honey, I didn't want you to have to live in a mess while work was being done." Her mother says watching her as she walks through the living room into the spacious kitchen.  
"When exactly will I be enjoying all of this space?" confusion replaces the earlier smile.  
"Maxi, once you're all settled in, I'm sure that you'll find where you're most comfortable." Her father looks out the window across the quad to the condo directly across the way. His attention is immediately drawn towards the small group of what he deduces to be students chatting with a gentleman, who is casually leaning against his open doorframe— all, no doubt talking about something completely different until the commotion created by the movers caught their attention. He turns his attention back to the task at hand. "That goes upstairs in the master bedroom. And do be careful with the furnishings, they are irreplaceable." He instructs as one of the movers lugs in a heavy section of the solid wood bed frame.

"You have a finished basement as well. We put the old couches down there with your entertainment centre. The newer couches and coffee table will be placed in the living room. We managed to find the perfect dining room furniture as well." He tilts his head in thought and follows Mackenzie and her mother upstairs. "There are three bedrooms. Your mother and I thought that you might use one for an office or guest room."  
"I can see what you're saying." She takes in all the information, but cannot help the feeling of Christmas morning washing over her. "This actually works out quite well. So when you, mom, and Jason visit there is enough space for all of you."  
"Kenzie, we just thought that this area, this home, in particular, was created just for you." Her mother shows her the master bedroom. She had picked the exact colours as her bedroom at home— fresh, clean light green paint for the walls and a neutral mushroom plush carpeting. She also notices how large and beautiful the windows are— letting in the beautiful natural light. As she walks towards them, she also notices that they offer an unobstructed view of the quad below which she knew she would enjoy. In fact, she notices the group that is gathered outside her neighbour's door talking. I might not have such a difficult time here after all she thinks happily to herself and follows her parents back downstairs.

"Well, I guess I had better find some provisions." She states, meeting her father back downstairs. "Mom, can we go to the grocery store and pick up some food? I don't really want to starve." She picks up her keys and heads for the door.  
"I thought we'd order in tonight." Her father turns from instructing one of the movers.  
"Didn't you guys bring supplies to stay overnight?"  
"Yes, you know that we would have been prepared should the event arise that we needed to stay overnight."  
"So, mom and I will shop so that we have enough food. We'll still order in or go out tonight if you like. Sound good?"  
"Actually, you're right. You'll need food and whatnot. I'll stay here and finish up with the movers. They're nearly done here then I'll head over to Joe's and see what I can do over there to help. I think you're pretty much moved in. They just have to assemble various things and that's about it. Then, of course, you'll have to unpack the boxes." He quickly makes his way out the door— his gaze resting momentarily on the group across the quad. Well, it looks as though Kenzie will have people closer to her age and talk to around here, he muses as he walks towards Joe's flat.

Driving through Sunnydale, Mackenzie and her mother take in the sights of the town. It's not as bustling as Seacouver, in fact, Mackenzie finds herself enjoying the drive through quieter streets. They park the car and walk into the store, get two carts and begin in the produce section. Once they finish picking fresh produce, they move towards the canned and jarred items, get some bread and bagels, hot cereal, tea, and coffee. Then spices and finally snacks— one can never have enough crap, Mackenzie smiles to herself as she puts another box of microwave popcorn into the cart.  
"You forgot your nut butter, jams, syrup, frozen backup veggies." Her mother reminds her.  
"Oh right! If we happen to have pancakes tomorrow I still don't have milk or eggs. Let's get the rest of the middle isle stuff first and then head to the frozen and dairy sections." Mackenzie saunters down an isle picks up a jar of organic peanut butter and almond butter. Moving towards the jams, she ponders the selection quickly before settling on raspberry for everyday or company and a triple fruit apricot mixture for a few of her dinner recipes. Her mother picks up a calorie-free, sugar-free plastic bottle of maple syrup and Mackenzie nods her agreement as Janelle places it in the cart. They then head towards the frozen food section and pick over a few bags of frozen vegetables, Mackenzie preferring to pick up several small boxes of frozen spinach then peas and carrots, or things that she could easily cook herself. Once they decide on milk, yogurt, various cheeses, eggs, and butter, they head to the ice cream section and pick up some sort of death by chocolate. Putting the tub into the cart, Mackenzie shakes her head and rolls her eyes.

"Really mom?"  
"Honey, you never know when a good, quality tub of ice cream may come in handy."  
"When is the **last** time you've seen me with ice cream?"  
"Well let's see," she pauses, "prom seems to come to mind."  
"Oh **right**! Like **one** tablespoon full counts? I went to train. Remember?" she huffs as they make their way through the store to the checkout. "If this is shopping on a regular basis, it's going to be a breeze." She adds as she begins the task of emptying the contents of her cart onto the conveyor belt. The cashier's eyes nearly bug out of her head as she wonders how on earth she's going to manage. Once the grand total appears, Mackenzie nearly passes out. Wow, that's a lot of money, she thinks to herself as she moves to open her purse.  
"I have it, honey. The first shop is always the worst." Her mother produces her debit card and the cashier instructs her to insert the plastic, chip first and wait for the prompts. They carefully place the bags in the carts and head back to the SUV.  
"Good thing it's not a car." Her mother waits while Mackenzie retrieves her keys and presses the button to release the back gate.  
"Yeah, no kidding." She replies and they start to pack the 'trunk' with as many of the bags as possible.

The drive back to her home was uneventful, no major traffic jams, accidents, or anything of the like. She pulls her truck into her slot and they begin to carry the bags into the quad to her new condo. ' **Home** ' she cannot quite wrap her head around the concept. Yes, it was beautiful and felt every bit as she had hoped that it would. Her parents staying her first night made the transition a bit easier to bear and she reminds herself that Joe and Mac are only a few doors down. Everything will be fine, she muses and begins to place the frozen vegetables in the freezer and fills the fridge with the dairy, produce and condiments. She then turns towards the pantry. Cool! I have actual space for this stuff, rather than using cupboard space that is way better suited for dishes, pots and whatnot.  
"Starting to feel like home isn't it?" her father says as he re-enters with Mac and Joe not far behind.  
"Yeah, it really is." She replies. "I will get the guest room set up for you and mom." She smiles and turns towards the stairs.  
"Thank you. Joe and Mac will be joining us for dinner." He adds.  
"Sure, sounds great. Do you have any idea where we should go for dinner?"  
"Not a clue! But I was thinking that there should be a nice place on the coast." Mackenzie nods and heads upstairs to help her mother. For the most part, she ensures that the bulk that required assistance was taken care of. Once her parents left the next day, she would finish the tedious task of unpacking the rest of her stuff.

Although she would deny it if they asked her, Mackenzie could feel the onset of slumber calling to her. The excitement of the day— the long drive from Seacouver to Sunnydale, becoming aquatinted with her new home, shopping for groceries and supplies all had taken their toll on her. She sat comfortably on the overstuffed sofa, a mug of hot chai tea on the coffee table before her. Her mother sits beside her and father occupies a leather chair. Having returned from dinner, a quiet moment of company is appreciated and understood by all. Feeling bagged, Mackenzie stands and picks up her mug, as well as her father's and heads towards the kitchen.  
"I think I'm going to turn in." she rinses the mugs quickly and places them in the dishwasher. Her father glances at the time.  
"It's been a long day. We ought to turn in as well." He smiles in an attempt to stifle a yawn. Her mother nods her agreement, finishes her tea and follows Mackenzie into the kitchen to rinse and put her mug in the dishwasher as well.  
"Try and sleep in sweetie." Her mother says as she pulls her into a quick embrace.  
"Good night." She lets herself yawn and gives her father a quick hug as well. "Better make sure everything is locked." She reminds herself of her new routine. She makes her way to the front door and checks to be sure that it's locked and bolted tight. Satisfied she turns the porch light off and as she makes her way upstairs, turns off the lights.

Once in her bedroom, she heads straight to the bathroom to perform her evening ritual. With a deep sigh, she exits the bathroom turning off the light and wanders not towards her bed, rather to the window. Slowly, she draws back the curtain and finds herself staring out over the quad and along the other condos in the complex. Her eyes rest on the one directly across from hers where the gentleman and group of teenagers seemed to be deep in discussion earlier. She wonders what they are like and if she will have the opportunity to meet any of them, or if she'll be too busy with school and training. She notices that a dim light illuminates the downstairs windows and she cannot help herself— she wonders what he might be doing and then scolds herself for even wondering such a thing when she doesn't even know him! She sighs and gently lets' the curtain fall back into place and crosses her arms across her chest before turning and making her way towards her bed. Pulling the comforter and sheet back, she climbs in and snuggles into the mattress, resting her head on the pillow, she closes her eyes and falls into a pleasant dream-filled slumber.

The following morning, Mackenzie's mother rises early and prepares a scrumptious breakfast of pancakes with sausage and bacon, grapefruit, orange juice, and tea. All enjoyed at appreciated.  
"This is a lovely surprise mom." Mackenzie smiles brightly as she ties her housecoat.  
"I just thought that it would be nice to have something homey for breakfast." Her mother replies as she places a mug of tea in front of her.  
"Thanks."  
"How did you sleep?"  
"Quite well actually, I find that I enjoy the view of the quad at night." She takes a piece of bacon from the plate and bites into it as she hears her father's footsteps as he pads down the stairs.  
"Good morning." He says as he makes his way towards the food.

"Morning dear." Her mother kisses him and hands him a mug of tea. He nods his thanks and sits beside Mackenzie at the kitchen table.

"So are you heading to the university to check it out early?"  
"That's actually a great idea." She tilts her head. "I think I'll do that during the week though. That way I can see how things kind of work during the summer session." She picks up her fork and stabs at a delicious pancake.  
"That sounds like a plan. That way you'll have an idea of where you have to go for classes and not get too lost, like every other freshman." He chuckles softly.|  
"Again, good plan dad," she replies as she adds a bit of butter and some syrup to her pancakes then places a couple of strips of bacon on her plate and three sausage links.  
"I'm going to miss meals with you guys, you know?" she takes a bite of pancake.  
"We'll miss you as well." He reaches towards her and gently squeezes her arm reassuringly.

After breakfast, they do a few touristy activities before Joe drives them to the train station.  
"Goodbyes always suck." Mackenzie takes a deep breath and prepares herself.  
"I know sweetie. Don't look at this as goodbye. Think of it as we'll see you soon. We'll keep in touch by phone, by email, and by text as well." Her father adds smiling at how cool he thinks he sounds.  
"Sure dad, it starts with every day, then every other, ending with once in a blue moon. I know! I'm just being dramatic." She smiles and hugs her father tightly. She then turns to her mother and with a sigh wraps her arms around her pulling her into a tight embrace. "Until Thanksgiving." She manages between a hiccup and a sob.  
Duncan clears his throat and they slowly part from their embrace.  
"I'll call when we get back." Her mother says, picking up her purse and making her way towards Duncan's car.  
"Why couldn't I drive you to the train station?" she follows them out the front door.  
"I offered to drive them when we solidified the plans," Duncan answers simply as he picks up an overnight bag and heads to the car.  
"I can come too right?"  
"Of course sweetie." He smiles and she grabs her purse and keys then closes and locks the door behind her. She jogs to the car— not noticing that she is once again being watched by the intrigued neighbour in the flat across the quad.

The drive back is quiet and Mackenzie stares out the window in an attempt to commit her surroundings to memory. It amazes her that Duncan seems to know exactly where he's going.  
"Oh, I'm going to stop at a local restaurant and pick up some takeout for dinner. Would like to join us for dinner tonight?"  
"That sounds like a lovely idea." She replies and turns her attention back to the window to watch as the scenery passes by. "Any chance of getting in some training?" she inquires under her breath.  
"I wanted to allow you the chance to gain your bearings before jumping into a routine." He answers as he pulls into a parking lot.  
"Funning how at first that's how I felt. This probably sounds really odd, but I think it's what I actually need." She unbuckles her seatbelt, opens the door and exits the car, closing the door behind with a loud thud and follows Duncan into the restaurant. "Greek," she says.

"Hope that's okay."  
"It's perfect actually. I haven't had Greek in quite a while." She smiles up at him and they enter the mom and pop establishment.  
Listening to the radio, Mackenzie watches as the sun begins it's decent, gradually slipping below the tree line. With the dark sky, the stars begin to peek out leisurely from the soft velvety sky and the moon high as though watching over her evening children.  
After they have finished eating, Mackenzie helps to clear away the dishes and tidy up the kitchen.  
"Kenzie, you didn't have to do all of that you know?" Joe says brightly as she finishes drying the last glass.  
"That's okay; I just thought that my meal would digest faster and Mac and I can get to the training." She places the glass in the cupboard and closes the lament door.  
"I guess you're happy that your Watcher training has ceased?" he asks, watching as she hangs the towel on the oven handle and turns to lean against the counter.  
"On one hand, yes I have to admit that I'm beyond happy that I will soon be good enough to officially assume my role as Watcher, even if it is in the research capacity until I've completed my education and assigned an immortal." She says very practically.  
"On the other?" he questions her lightly; she lets out a deep breath in thought.  
"I dread being part of something that I had no choice in joining in the first place. Having my life decided for me is also a bit of a bummer, you know?" she adds with even less enthusiasm.  
"I suppose I can understand where you're coming from."  
"You do?" an eyebrow raises.  
"I wanted to be a musician and wanted to travel the world. Don't forget, life was different back when I was a younger man." She smiles at the twinkle in his eye.  
"But you are. And so much more." Mackenzie stops herself.  
"You do get it." She nods wordlessly and he gives her a quick hug.

Duncan enters the kitchen, interrupting their moment.  
"Kenzie, are you ready for that evening run?" Duncan says descending the stairs as he zips up the grey hoodie.  
"That sounds like an excellent idea." She replies and moves towards the door. "Just let me change. I'll meet you back here?"  
"I'll be waiting." He replies and she jogs over to her place to change.  
While warming up, neither notices the swish of the curtains in the flat across the courtyard. I've done it again— Rupert Giles chastises himself as he returns to his cluttered desk. Standing over the cluttered workspace, he removes his glasses and sets them one of the thick open volumes. What is it that draws me to her? He wonders while running a hand through his hair before sitting back in the wooden chair to continue his research. Research on a demon that one of Buffy's friends, Xander had encountered only a few days prior.

"Where to?" she asks as they head down the street.  
"Let's just go wherever our feet take us." He replies and she smiles her ascent. The fragrant evening air fills her lungs and Mackenzie enjoys the gentle Californian breeze as it caresses her face like a gentle lovers touch. So different from the crisper air in Seacouver. Finding that the hoodie is too warm for their pace, she quickly unzips, removes, and ties it around her slender waist without so much as breaking stride. Mac has been monitoring their distance as they reach a park. He leads her through and she suddenly stops in her tracks.  
"What is it?" he inquires sensing something, yet not knowing what it is. The air is almost charged with an energy that neither has ever experienced before. "Keep running?" he nods towards home.  
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea." She replies and matches his stride back towards home— of course, they have to pass a cemetery and Mackenzie finds herself involuntarily shuddering and unconsciously picking up her pace to get by as quickly as possible. She would never admit to fear, but this night was the first time that she actually didn't feel safe out for an evening run. Suddenly, a loud crack stops her dead in her tracks.

"Mac, did you hear that?" she whispers, he can hear the fear in her voice. He merely nods silently. "Is it an immortal?"  
"No, I don't sense the kind of energy signature. You're safe if that's what you mean." He assures her and they turn to go— when just as suddenly as the crack, they hear a soft moan.  
"It sounds like someone needs our help." She looks up at him and starts to move towards the sounds. Mac's gut tells him that they ought to get the hell out of there, but seeing that Kenzie is so curious and he wants to keep her safe, he reluctantly follows.  
"No way." She says under her breath as they watch a slip of a thing taking on three rather husky men, who all appear to either be dressed up as Klingons for a Star Trek convention they hadn't heard of wasn't in town, or just really ugly.  
"Oh really?" the girl's voice carries as they watch her retrieve a wooden… Stake? From her cropped leather jacket pocket and sinks it into one of the men's waiting chest. "Hello? Slayer here!" she taunts the remaining two and they seem to take their cues and attack. She easily roundhouse kicked one and elbows the other. And just as quickly stakes both, creating two more puffs of ash. "I would have thought you'd learn by now." She calls as she turns towards Duncan and Mackenzie ready to strike.

"Oh! You're not. Never mind." She quickly conceals her stake and continues towards them. "Hi! I'm Buffy." Greeting them with a broad smile, she acts as though nothing unusual has happened and that a young woman alone in a graveyard engaged in a fight of sorts is totally normal. Mackenzie and Duncan both take in the small blond in her nifty pair of jeans, black ankle boots, and soft white blouse under a neat hip-length leather jacket.

"I'm Mackenzie and this is Duncan." Mackenzie introduces herself and her running companion. She doesn't want to disclose too much information on account that this girl— Slayer, was it, might decide to introduce them to the pointy end of her stake.  
"Nice to meet you." She smiles and shakes their hands. "Welcome to the Hellmouth." She adds coyly. "Perhaps in future, you may consider running during the day." Her smile is innocent.  
"Hellmouth?" Mackenzie glances up at Duncan for an explanation— he merely shakes his head and she gives him a look that just says; you're how old and you've never heard of a 'Hellmouth?'  
"Yeah, you know? All the things that we're supposed to be afraid of?" she inquires nonchalantly.  
"Sure, like monsters, demons, vampires, and things that go bump in the night?" Mackenzie says lightly in the hope that Buffy is only joking around.  
"Those and much more— they totally exist." Her smile doesn't fade and Mackenzie wants to faint.  
"Oh really?" Duncan cocks a thick brown eyebrow.  
"Well, I suppose if you don't believe me. You could always ask Giles."  
"Giles?" Mackenzie states with another quick glance at Duncan.  
"You know? The tall, older British, bookish guy that lives in the condo across from yours?" Buffy tilts her heads to the side and Mackenzie watches as she quickly retrieves her stake and launches it towards another vampire behind them.  
"Ah yes, I believe that I've seen you. So Giles would be the man whom I take as a friend of your group? I happened to see you guys talking outside his flat yesterday." Mackenzie watches as Buffy retrieves her stake.  
"Let's head over to his place where we can chat in a more private setting." She suggests as she conceals her stake and they head towards the complex.

Arriving at Giles' flat, Buffy doesn't bother knocking, she quickly opens the door. "GILES?" she calls out to him loudly as Mackenzie and Duncan wait at the threshold politely. When he doesn't answer, she continues into his flat. " **GILES!** " she shouts a bit louder.  
"Yes, Buffy?" he calls from the loft above, his British accent accentuated by the rich tone of his voice. "Just a moment." His voice is slightly muffled under the oversized sweatshirt he quickly pulls over his head. As he takes to the stairs, Giles pulls it down around his exposed torso, letting it rest at the waist of his dark jeans— he pads barefoot down the carpeted stairs. Slightly embarrassed by her Watcher's overly casual appearance, Buffy shakes the thought to scold him out her head.  
"Giles, I kinda brought guests." She adds gesturing towards the door where Duncan and Mackenzie wait. When his eyes set upon Mackenzie, his heart nearly stops beating and falls from its place in his chest to his feet—it's clearly only the girl he's been trying to find an excuse to introduce himself to since she moved in.

"This is Mackenzie and Duncan." She quickly introduces them. "This is my Watcher," she adds with a wide sparkling smile, "Rup..."  
"Rupert Giles." He interrupts her introduction, luckily finding his voice strong, and not stuttering while in the presence of the lovely lady he's finally being introduced to.  
"Watcher?" Mackenzie whispers softly, her brows furrow slightly. Duncan, not missing a beat, extends his hand in greeting.  
"A pleasure to meet you, Rupert— everyone calls Mac." He clarifies as they shake hands in greeting. "And normally, we just call her Kenzie." He adds and Giles extends his hand towards her. She quickly accepts his greeting, but finds herself wondering where the sparks are coming from— or perhaps it was only her imagination. She is unsure. Ignoring the sensation that manages to work its way up her arm, Mackenzie reluctantly releases his hand and finds herself folding her arms across her chest loosely as she suddenly cannot think of anywhere else to put her hands, having no pockets after tying her hoodie around her waist.

"We normally don't introduce ourselves in this manner." Giles finally breaks the silence that oddly enough is **not** in the least a bit awkward.

"I can imagine not." Duncan nods, his Scottish accent more prevalent this evening Mackenzie notices. "I suppose when one witnesses a slip of thing kicking some serious ass that clearly doesn't look quite human, on account of their bumpy foreheads. I would hedge a bet that a group of drug addicts in Klingon costumes attacking her—and what is it called again? A stake being the only way in which to diffuse the situation. The result? What I can only surmise as vampires being what appears to be dusted."

"Ah right." Giles removes his glasses from their comfortable perch on his nose and quickly polishes them on the hem of his sweatshirt before replacing them back on the bridge of his nose. A nervous habit, Buffy immediately notices. "So I presume that Buffy explained to you that everything that you fear that goes "bump in the night" is real?" both Mackenzie and Duncan nod in unison. "Well, I suppose we need to elaborate on that point." Knowing what is to follow, Buffy rolls her eyes.  
"It's essential to comprehend the existence of good and level of evil residing in our world, which I'm sure is no surprise to you. However, there, as always, must exist the maintenance of balance between the two. Therefore, in every generation, one girl is **chosen** to tackle said maintenance of balance."  
"Whoa! I honestly thought the **Slayer** was a myth." Duncan couldn't conceal the soft gasp, nor could Mackenzie.  
"Myth?" Giles' expression suddenly becomes quizzical, a look Buffy knows all too well.  
"This is totally insane! It's like the mystery of Methos all over again." Mackenzie happily exclaims.  
"Seriously? Are you like? Out of your mind or something?" Buffy cannot help but ask.  
"No, while I wish I were, I'm not." Mackenzie glances cautiously towards Duncan, who nods his ascent. Buffy and Giles have obviously shared something that isn't something they would share with just anyone.

"Go ahead." He allows her to speak— that way she can control the amount of information exchanged.  
"Well, what's your take on immortals?" Mackenzie inquires, her tone slightly hushed.  
"I've read very little on the topic," Giles replies, "In fact, I have been quite sceptical as to their existence at all— in all my years of being a Watcher, I have yet to actually interact knowingly with one," Giles states with a sigh of disappointment.  
"Well, tonight changes everything you thought you knew." Mackenzie smiles brightly. "Mac is what? Like three hundred years or something?" he nods slightly, "And he's **not** of your garden bloodsucking variety." She attempts to sound nonchalant on the topic.  
"And you my dear? What is your connection?" Giles cannot help pose the question.

"Well, let's just say that I'm a Watcher-in-training of sorts." As Mackenzie tilts her head slightly, Giles finds himself captivated by the grace in such a simple gesture. "I wasn't exactly chosen, per se, but both my parents come from a long line of Watchers. In any case, for as long as there have been immortals, there have been Watchers, whose occupation has been to merely observe— to **never** interfere. We record history through the experiences and battles of our assignment." adding, while Giles motions for them to have a seat.

"I'll make some tea. Buffy, would you sit with our guests?"  
"Sure." She plunks herself in the comfortably worn leather recliner. Mackenzie saunters towards the kitchen.  
"Is there anything that I can do to help?" she inquires from the doorway of the cozy gully kitchen. Giles turns round in surprise that she has somehow managed to avert his usually keen senses.  
"Um," he stammers slightly, "I usually have this routine down pat." Her expression falls slightly and he clears his throat nervously. "But if you wouldn't mind, the biscuits are in the cupboard over the microwave." He instructs as casually as possible.

Easily finding the cookies, Mackenzie retrieves the box and randomly opens another cupboard and luckily finds a plate. Manoeuvring effortlessly around him, she quickly washes her hands and dries them on a tea towel before opening the box, she artfully places them on the plate.  
"I gather you don't believe me," she pauses attempting to read his emerald green eyes, "or do you?" Mackenzie leans herself against the counter in fairly close proximity to him.  
"Well, I have heard of the existence of other Watcher Councils, I just didn't really think that there would come a day where I would meet s-someone qu-ite l-like you." For the oddest reason, Giles found it incredibly difficult to hide his nervous stutter— and hoped that she hadn't picked up on it. If she had; however, Mackenzie gave no indication— Instead, she attempts to lighten the mood.  
"Perhaps our Council doesn't play well with others, or have decided not to let us in on the reality of "things that go bump in the night." Unsure of her decision, she finds herself looking down at her feet as if the light linoleum floor as though it is the most interesting thing in the world.

"Who knew that an evening run would lead to this?" Giles watches her intently as Mackenzie takes a cleansing breath, then he turns to rummaging about for the needed ingredients for the tea he is preparing. "Do you have sugar with your tea?"  
"Actually I don't take sugar in my tea. Save for the odd treat, I try to eat fairly clean." Turning back to the tray, Giles places the plate of biscuits and the bone china sugar bowl beside it.  
"I can absolutely appreciate that." He turns again and gently pours the boiled water over the teabags in the matching bone china teapot.  
"I don't know exactly how to say this, but seeing that we're all about the show and tell tonight," Mackenzie pauses, Giles responds by turning to look at her once more. Stepping closer to close the slight gap between them, her tone is barely above a whisper, "I'm a potential." He hardly hears her, as the light heat of her breath on his exposed flesh results in a shudder threatening to vibrate throughout his body.

He calms himself with a raised eyebrow.  
"A potential?" Mackenzie studies his features, finding his raised eyebrows hovering over the thin wire frame of his glasses endearing.

"Immortal," pausing Mackenzie's gaze flutters for a moment. "While I am much like anyone else— I am not. Apparently, all I lack is the experience of a violent death. So for now, I'm 'normal'." The softness of Giles' gaze calms Mackenzie.  
"Essentially I have had no choice in the matter of being a Watcher. I train for my duty, but I also train to defend myself as a potential immortal. For once I experience said violent death, I'm immediately tossed into what many refer to as the 'game', in which I will forever be on my guard from other immortals who only want my head in order to become the only one."  
Giles lets out the breath he had been holding and leans against the counter behind him.  
"That's quite the burden to shoulder, my dear." No matter how hard he tries, he is utterly and completely drawn in by this woman. Slowly, he reaches out and rests his hand comforting on her shoulder as an illustration of genuine concern and appreciation for her sharing something with someone she has only just met.

Relieved that Mackenzie doesn't shy away from his gentle touch, Giles remembers that the tea will be steeped. Adding the bone china cups and saucers to the tray, Mackenzie watches as Giles places the teapot in its place before picking up the tray and together, they head to the living room to re-join Buffy and Duncan, both deep in their own conversation. Mackenzie manages to get Giles' attention long enough for him to read her pleading eyes that he refrains from sharing the information that she obviously entrusted in him. He silently nods his understanding and then begins pouring the tea.

"Once I locate a building suitable for a dojo, then I'll be better equipped to fully train Kenzie with the Katana. I don't suppose it would look odd in the least to be out in a public place with swords." Duncan explains as they enjoy the fragrant rich tea. "This is rather unusual," Duncan comments as he places the teacup on its matching saucer.  
"Yes, there is a lovely tea shop and they are most knowledgeable. This is a unique blend to her shop." Giles explains as he sits back into the sofa, crossing his left ankle over his right knee, he sips the last of his tea.  
"It's lovely." Mackenzie agrees placing her cup and saucer on the tray settled on the coffee table, "May I?" she stands and moves to remove the tray from the coffee table.  
"Thank you, my dear." Giles smiles and she pauses to take his cup and saucer from him, placing it on the tray along with the others she heads to the kitchen.

"I must admit that this has been one of our more interesting evenings. It's truly a pleasure to meet you both." Giles says with an enduring upturn corner of his lips that Mackenzie cannot help but notice. "It would also appear that we have quite a bit in common. In which case, I would love the opportunity to learn more about immortals." He adds. Buffy can hardly keep her eyes from rolling— suck up much? She gives him a quick sideways glance.  
"I hope that we run into each other again," Giles pauses momentarily, "but please don't run at night. Try and keep that the daytime as it's much safer."  
Buffy tilts her head and they walk Mackenzie and Duncan to the door.  
"We will keep that under advisement," Mackenzie says with a smile. "Good night." She adds and allows Duncan to gently cup her elbow and walk her home, across the courtyard.

"Would you like a protein shake?" she inquires while unlacing her runners. Pausing momentarily, Duncan shakes his head with a sigh.  
"I'm good. How can you?" he cocks a thick brow.  
"Mac, we just ran an hour and a half— at a good pace, I might add. I need a bit of a recovery drink— tea and a few light biscuits aren't going to cut it!" she slips off her running shoes and heads straight to the kitchen. "How about I make a single serving and split it with you?"  
"That sounds okay." He replies, suddenly picking up on the hint that she doesn't want to be alone, yet doesn't want to admit it. "About tonight," he begins as he sits at the counter.  
"What about tonight?" she asks nonchalantly.  
"Are you freaked out at all?" she looks at him for a moment, a quizzical expression on her face.  
"Should I be?" she shrugs her slender shoulders.  
"Well, I for one find it a little, oh I don't know."

" **Hinky**?" she supplies as she finishes adding the final ingredients to the blender, along with the ice, she tightly closes the lid, places it in its cradle in the blender and presses the button.

"Yeah, I guess that's one word to use. Not exactly my way of speaking, mind you."  
" **Trust** me, it really is. I normally would be all freakout girl, but." She pauses in thought— before she has the chance to continue.  
" **You** have a **thing** for **That Englishman!** " Mac exclaims, teasing her— she can't hide the light blush that she feels caress its way up her neck, coming to rest in normally peaches and cream cheeks. "Subject change— when do you have your language assessments?"  
"Nice sidebar. I nearly forgot about those." She sighs dramatically. "Thanks for the reminder," she makes a face while rolling her eyes. "It really isn't something that I can study for. As far as I'm concerned, I either know it, or I don't." She stops the blender and grabs two tall gasses. Pouring the thick shake and sets one in front of him. He takes a tentative sip and smiles his approval.  
"This is pretty good."  
"Yeah, I thought you might have thought I was trying to off you!" she says with a wide grin. "Seriously, Wednesday afternoon I take my French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek and German placement tests. I was careful not to mention the ancient languages that I am above competent in." She tilts her head.  
"You sure know your languages like the back of your hand." He says brightly.  
"Yeah, I hope so. Maybe I won't have to take boring first-year intro classes." She says, crossing her long fingers— Duncan takes note of the neatly manicured and light pink painted nails, decorated with glitter and shiny gems.  
"Wherever they place you, you'll do just fine." He pauses and glances at his watch.

"Well, I better be going." He moves to rinse his now empty glass.  
"Yeah, I guess you have a busy day tomorrow." She leans against the counter with a sigh.  
"I have a few potential places to look at for the new dojo."  
"That sounds promising."  
"It is. Two of them are very similar to what I had back in Seacouver." He makes his way to the foyer and starts to put his shoes on.  
"Do they have lofts as well?" she asks.  
"As a matter of fact, they do." He ties his laces and straightens up.  
"That sounds really great." She moves to open the door for him. "Good night Mac." She hugs him tightly and watches as he walks over to Joe's. Funny how the slightest of movement can catch your eye— Mackenzie cannot help but notice the wisp of the curtains closing in the front window of the flat across the courtyard. Thinking, due to the evenings events, that she is merely unsettled, she shakes her head and the thoughts out and closes the door—checking to be sure it's secure.

Contemplating a relaxing hot shower, Mackenzie turns off the lights as she makes her way upstairs towards the comfort of her bedroom. Stripping out of her now dry running clothes, she can feel buzz of their run running off as she places them in the awaiting hamper for workout clothes. Pausing for a moment, she reaches for her neatly folded pyjamas— a pair of lightly striped pyjama bottoms with a tank top, then pads towards the adjoining bathroom.

A feeling of calmness replaces the tension of the day as the hot water runs down her body. Quickly washing her hair, she inhales the kiwi scent of the shampoo and then the conditioner; she then glides the bar of vanilla scented soap over her body and rinses. Stepping out of the shower, she dries quickly and puts her pyjamas on. Brushing her teeth, she then completes her evening routine – and on her way to bed, stops at the bookshelf to retrieve a book for her evening read. With book in hand, she pads towards her bed but stops as she suddenly finds herself drawn to the window. Setting the book down on the night table, she reaches out, drawing back the sheers and allows her eyes to adjust to the dimness of the light while her gaze wanders over the darkened courtyard. Her eyes sweep upwards, and she takes a moment to take in the glittery bright diamond-like stars playing above the complex.

Despite the evening's events, Mackenzie takes a deep breath enjoying the beauty of the night. Gently releasing the fabric between her slender fingers, she climbs into bed, snuggles in and sets aside any ideas of reading as she suddenly feels too tired to concentrate. Closing her eyes, she invites sleep to embrace her and sweep her into what she hopes to be pleasant dreams— an attractive, tall, handsome British gentleman, perhaps?


	4. Chapter 4

General disclaimers can be found in the first chapter

Mackenzie is perched on a stool, pulled up to the kitchen island in Duncan's kitchen, eating a snack while Adam Pearson, a slim built unassuming young graduate student – who as it would happen to be a Watcher and the mysterious infamous immortal Methos, raids Duncan's fridge for another beer.  
"I cannot believe that the school year is starting up again." His comment is more to the open fridge than to her, "and a brand spanking new batch of freshmen to boot." He cringes as he victoriously plucks a bottle from the shelf. Allowing the door to close on its own, he snaps the top and takes a swig.  
"And that would be me," Mackenzie says with a smile.  
"Oh right! I nearly forgot. You've always been so mature for your age." He amends.  
"Thanks. Are you still going to be able to continue helping me with my ancient languages?" she inquires, tilting her head.  
"Yes, of course, you know I well." He sits on the vacant stool beside her as Duncan enters the kitchen.

"So is it safe to assume that things between the two of you are okay?" he inquires, placing the paper bag of groceries on the counter and begins the process of putting things away.  
"That was just an isolated incident," Mackenzie states innocently, biting into her apple.  
"Yeah, Mac. A misunderstanding is all." Methos rolls his eyes. "I had **no** idea that she was associated with you. Had I known, I would **never** have thought to take her head."  
"You and the whole behead first, and ask questions later philosophy." Duncan snorts while he closes the cupboard. "You had to have noticed how faint the energy signature level was. And still is."  
"You can never be too careful," Methos interjects.  
"He's right Mac." She interjects, defending her overcautious friend. "I mean, he didn't get to be what? Nearly five thousand and change without being careful." She adds and puts the apple core into the receptacle.  
"So have you and that stuffy Englishman gone out on a proper date yet?" Methos inquires, changing the subject.

"Hey!" she squeaks.  
"Mac's right then. There **is** something going on between the two of you." Mackenzie rolls her eyes in response.  
"Not between us exactly." She adds and allows her manicured eyebrows to furrow slightly. "Besides, we never have a chance to be 'alone', if you will. Buffy, Willow, and Xander hang out at the library." She says with a quick glance at her watch, realising that the day has quickly slipped away. "I suppose that I had better get going. I have to hit the bookstore and purchase my books for this semester." She smiles brightly and makes her way towards Duncan, hugging him goodbye quickly.  
"Don't **I** get a hug?" Methos puts on his best wounded expression, adding a solid pout for good measure. Mackenzie fake rolls her eyes and heads over to him and gives him a tight squeeze.  
"Enjoy your bit of freedom before school starts." He whispers in her ear. Pulling away from him, she nods her thanks.  
"I'll meet you tonight for training?"  
"Yes, of course," Duncan replies casually as he leans against the island and watches as she enters the elevator. She pulls down the heavy metal cage door and presses the button. With a wave, she is slowly lowered to the first floor.

Makenzie can hardly believe the speed with which fall has flown by. Between the brief Thanksgiving break, her Watcher research position, exams, mid-terms, essays, and other assignments- Christmas is on her doorstep. Usually, she waits for the network to broadcast the Santa Claus Parade before officially putting up her tree, but for the oddest reason, in her flurry of busyness, she somehow managed to spend ample time in the Sunnydale High library helping with research on the upcoming ascension—she just happened on it. A quiet moment reading for class is interrupted by the telephone ringing.  
" **Holy cow**!" startled, Mackenzie exclaims to the empty room, as she jumps off the couch running to the telephone.

"Hello."  
"Hello, sweetie." Her mother's voice sounds wonderful in her ears. "Are you gearing up to put up the tree?"  
"What day is it?"  
"Is this a trick question?"  
"Humour me." She replies waiting for the answer.  
"Friday. Do you need me to be any more specific than that?"  
" **Oh no**!" Mackenzie exclaims. "The parade was Sunday! I haven't started shopping, I have to bake, I haven't decorated. And to top it off, I still have to maintain my other obligations. And…" she trails off, not wanting to add that she has been overly preoccupied with thoughts about asking a certain Watcher out on a date.  
"Kenzie, calm down." She can hear the smile in her mother's tone. "It's not the end of the world." She adds. Mackenzie takes a deep breath and almost finds herself laughing at herself for being so irrational.  
"And what, dear?" her mother prompts, letting her know that she isn't letting her off the hook as easily as she thinks.

"Um, never mind mom. I did pack my tree right?" she inquires.  
"Yes, of course, sweetheart. We put it in the basement along with the decorations. I also think I added your box and bags of wrapping paper, cards, tape, ribbons, and whatnot." She could picture her mother shaking her head a bit.  
"Thanks, mom. It just wouldn't be the same without a tree, or decorations, or everything." Mackenzie looks at the television once more, only to see another advertisement. "Wow! We hardly get through Veterans Day and they're already pushing the season." She comments.  
"When will you be home for the holidays?" her mother inquires.  
"I have a few mid-terms to deal with. I think I'll be done by the eleventh."  
"Are you planning on coming home with your car? Or will you be grabbing a ride with Joe?" her mother asks, trying to work out the plans for the visit.  
"I haven't quite worked out the details of transportation as yet. Is Duncan coming along too? I mean, he doesn't really have anyone." She adds with a bit of a frown, recalling how happy he had been when he was in Paris with Tessa— her passing in a freak attempted robbery gone terribly wrong resulted in Duncan's moving to Seacouver in an attempt to move on with his life without the love of his. Richie happened to follow him as well as her uncle Joe, Duncan's Watcher.

"He knows he's more than welcome. Invite him, the more the merrier." Her mother adds happy to potentially have a full house for the holidays.  
"I'll be sure to ask him then. I guess I'll talk to Uncle Joe and see what his plans are to settle the transportation. Perhaps I'll drive and they can come along with me, or we'll bring the extra car so they can do what they please while they visit." She muses aloud.  
"Well, regardless of those details. I can't wait to see you." Her mother's enthusiasm is contagious and Mackenzie cannot wait to get her tree up.  
"So are you watching the parade?" she inquires.  
"Always, and as per tradition— with a cup of hot chocolate and homemade oatmeal raisin spice cookies." She replies and takes another sip. "But it's not the same without you."  
"I love you too mom. I better not keep you. I'm going to decorate." Mackenzie says happily.  
"Love you too sweetie. I'll talk to you soon."  
"Sounds like a great plan," Mackenzie replies, "goodbye."  
"Bye." Her mother says as she cradles the phone and snuggles further into the sofa with a soft blanket. Mackenzie takes a moment to cradle the telephone. Once she does, she looks about the space and decides that the tree has to go in the window. So she pulls the vacuum from the hall closet and sets about pulling the sofa away from the window— quickly vacuuming the exposed space and then placing it aside, knowing that she will be using it again once the tree is up— seeing that no matter how careful she is, she can **never** undo the boughs without the synthetic needles flaking off the flexible metal structure.

Wandering downstairs to the basement, Mackenzie easily locates the carefully labelled and stored boxes. Fantastic, she allows the grin that tugs at the corners of her mouth to form a full-fledged smile as she picks up the heaviest box, containing the pre-lit tree. Slugging the box upstairs and placing it in the living room, she goes back down to the basement for the rest of the decorations. She makes her way back up with the box and begins opening the first of the boxes, revealing the tree in three large pieces along with the sturdy stand. Carefully, so as not to break the pieces, she lifts the bottom piece from the box and sets it aside. Once she has the base setup, she carefully slips the metal pole into the awaiting stand, centred within the large window— she begins working on carefully opening the boughs and positioning them in such a manner that the tree appears natural and full.

Once the first sections appear the way she wants it, she turns towards the box and pulls the next piece out— this piece contains the chords, so she plugs them into each other and then plugs the lead in to check the lights. Then she adds the blinkers, waiting for the graceful flickering to begin. Great, she muses happily, they **all** work! I don't have to try and find the burnt out ones and replace them this year. Her smile widens as she finishes positioning the second section. Finally, she removes the treetop from the box and repeats the process. Once the tree appears the way she wants it, she turns towards another box labelled Christmas Decorations. She has always had her own tree, that way she could have the decorations that she wanted— it wasn't just that she didn't like her mother's taste in Christmas décor, rather she had always just loved having a tree in her room to enjoy.

Smiling at the memories as she pulls out the first box of delicate white and silver orbs then locates the hooks and begins threading the wires through awaiting wire hangers— she begins carefully and strategically placing the orbs on the tree. One box empty, she repeats the same process with the second. Realising that it was far too quiet for decorating, she looks further into the box for her Christmas CDs— it may still be considered early, but hey, one only has a finite time to enjoy Christmas music. Retrieving her Sarah McLachlan Wintersong CD, she places it into the CD player and presses play. As the quiet, soothing music fills her home, turning off the harsher lights, Mackenzie makes her way towards the kitchen to make of much-needed cup of tea. With a china mug in hand, she returns to the living room and tree decorating. Pulling another carefully packed box of decorations from the box, she begins re-hooking the ornaments before taking her time in placing them on the tree— making sure that all sides of the tree received ornaments, even the outside, as she knew she would want to draw the curtains and sheers open every now and then and if would look rather odd to see a Christmas tree in one's window have one side totally lacking in décor cheer. The tree starts to really take shape and she dims the lights in the room to get a better perspective.

Satisfied with her handy work, she returns to the box and retrieves the angel that will take her place at the treetop. Carefully, she places the angel and finds the plugs so that the small white lights that she holds and under her dress light up. Stepping back, Mackenzie admires her tree and lets her satisfied smile tugging at the corner of her lips win.  
"Perfect." She voices her thoughts and quickly begins the process of cleaning the empty boxes and taking them back down to the basement. Once she returns, she quickly grabs the vacuum and runs it over the rug to pick up the plastic needles that did manage to fall from the metal boughs during her gently placing them where they would remain for the holiday. She places the vacuum back in the closet than sets about rearranging the furniture in the room so that the tree assumes the focal point of the room rather than the television. The music has stopped and she pulls a new CD from the binder, pops it into the CD player and presses play.

It's a wonderful moment, Christmas music in the background, another mug of steaming tea between her hands while sitting herself on the sofa Mackenzie sighs contently as she allows herself to sink in. No need to think of school, training, work, or researching. This moment is for her and she intends to just sit and watch as the lights twinkle on and off in the dimly lit room. Finally hearing a gentle tap on her front door, she glances quickly at the time and contemplates whether or not she ought to open the door. Maybe whoever it is will go away, she thinks to herself as she hears the tapping increases not only in rhythm but intensity. **Fine**! Her mind screams as she sighs and leans forward, placing her mug on the coffee table before rising to her feet. This better be good, she muses as she pads towards the front door and carefully checks the peephole to be sure that she actually knows whose on the other side of the door. Giles lifts his hand to his head and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration before bringing his knuckles to the door once more.

She opens the door just before his knuckles make contact.  
"Good evening." She tilts her head quizzically. "At this hour, I trust this isn't a social call?" the addition causes him to shake his head. Damn! She steps aside to allow him into her home.  
"Lovely tree." He comments causally as they head towards the living room.  
"Thank you. Um, may I get you something? Coffee? Tea?" she inquires in an attempt to avoid the reason for his visit.  
"No, thank you. I'm fine." He replies and pauses as he hitches his pants and sits on the sofa, Mackenzie follows sinking into an awaiting leather armchair. "Were you able to speak with your contact with regards to the upcoming ascension?"  
"I have. I also forwarded the texts that you asked me to translate. Before I spoke to you about it, I wanted to be sure that my translation was correct. I wouldn't want to worry you about something big— if, in fact, it isn't a big deal." She shakes her head, places her hands on her thighs and rises. Stalking towards the fireplace, she turns off the background music and sighs loudly.

"So in your line of work, you don't get time off?" she turns back towards Giles, who has sat himself back on the sofa and now rests his left ankle on his right knee— she watches as he removes his glasses and twists them absently between his finger and thumb in thought and shakes his head.  
"Afraid not." He replies, plucking his trusty handkerchief from his pocket, he quickly runs it over his lenses and returns them to their proper place on the bridge of his nose. She smiles at his actions and wonders if it's something he does on a regular basis, or just when he's nervous.  
"That sucks almost as much as midterms." She comments under her breath.  
"I suppose you'll be going home to your family for the holidays?" he inquires quickly changing the subject. She absently plays with a thread on her cardigan. She looks up at him before answering.  
"My mother **loves** the holidays and insisted that I return home. Joe and Duncan will be joining us as well." She replies before stopping herself.

"I'm so sorry, how utterly insensitive of me." His expression changes to one of confusion.  
"Insensitive?"  
"Well, here you are in Sunnydale, away from home, your family, and here I go on about going home to visit mine." She twists her slender fingers that rest upon her lap.  
"I've been in Sunnydale for three years now. Buffy and her friends have become like a family to me. We share a few, albeit odd, holiday traditions of our own." He smiles at the memories of holidays past, dinners at Buffy's with Buffy's mother Joyce, Xander and Willow and his lips turn up in a crooked smile. She finds that she likes it when he smiles— the smile not only plays with his lips but his eyes as well.  
"I guess I hadn't thought about that." She muses and smiles in relief of his easy diffusion of her sudden discomfort. "I should have the translation for you in a couple of days. Adam said that he would go over it— in other words; he'll go over it as well as check my translation at the same time." She rolls her eyes.

"You do realise that the text is in ancient Sumerian?"  
"Yes, of course." She replies.  
"And how would you?" she smiles and lifts a hand to stop him.  
"Let's just say that having a broad base of languages at one's fingertips is incredibly helpful when examining Watcher journals and primary source material written by the immortals themselves." She replies.  
"What other hidden talents do you have?"  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she winks, "are you sure you wouldn't like a cup of tea?" he quickly glances at his watch and suddenly wishes he could spend hours with her, a good cup of tea, and conversation. However, he has to get back to his flat as Buffy is expecting him to be there after her patrol.  
"Perhaps a rain cheque?" he saw something in her hazel eyes that he wasn't quite sure he could place, but she recovers quickly and stands to usher him to the front door. "Enjoy your evening." He nearly has trouble stopping himself from hugging her.  
"You too." She replies and wishes she had the nerve to reach out to him, but she catches herself just in time— instead, she opens the door and he silently steps out. She watches as he crosses the courtyard, strong strides and closes the door with a loud sigh. Stupid girl! She chastises herself, making her way back to the stereo and puts the music back on before plunking herself on the sofa, and picks up her textbook.

Another afternoon finds the gang congregated at what Xander jokingly refers to as their headquarters— the Sunnydale High School library.  
"Giles, are you sure you don't mind keeping an eye on my place while I'm gone?" Mackenzie inquires as she pulls another book from the shelf.  
"No, of course not." He replies casually, looking up from another thick, leather-bound volume. "Buffy and Willow should be here any minute." He adds with a quick glance up at the clock over the large café style double wooden doors.  
"Which reminds me," she stands and quickly stretches before walking to her bag and retrieving a text and a handful of pages. "Here," she holds them out towards him. He glances up at her and receives the text and pages, "Your translation." She adds. He quickly skims through the pages and sighs.  
"Just what we expected isn't it?" she merely nods her ascent.  
"Sorry about that. I was hoping for kittens and puppies and cute little bunnies." She walks back to her seat and sinks into it to return to her research.

"Well, had thought my Sumerian was horrible. I've been so out of practice that I thought I had it totally wrong. Now I'm wishing I had been." He sighs and wonders how they're going to head off the ascension.  
"I guess you couldn't just kill the mayor." She looks up at him and he shakes his head.  
"That would make things easy." He pauses. "That's just one of the difficulties we face. Technically, he's a public figure." He removes his glasses to polish them quickly.  
"I see where you're going with this. If he were to say disappear, or get dead— it definitely wouldn't go unnoticed." She closes the book in front of her just as Buffy and the Willow enter the library chatting about Christmas dinner.

"Oh hey Kenzie." Willow, the red haired girl says, noticing the brunette sitting across from Giles with a thick volume tightly closed untouched, and clearly forgotten sitting in front of her.  
"Hey Willow." She replies. "Did you trim you hair?" Willow nods and smiles brightly as she takes a seat next to Giles and Buffy takes the vacant seat beside her.  
"Anything useful in this mess?" she inquires as she dumps her knapsack on the floor at her feet.  
"Well, Kenzie finished with the translation." He pauses in thought as he rises from his seat and begins pacing. "It's as we fear."  
"Great, so the only thing we can do at this point is plan and train?" Buffy injects rolling her eyes. Everyone who knows her; knows her to be action girl and sitting around on her hands isn't helping her.  
"Oh crap! I have to go!" Kenzie springs to her feet and collects her things. "I have to get packed. I'm sorry Giles for bailing." He smiles his understanding.

"Thanks again for taking care of my place whiles I'm away. Oh drats! I nearly forgot to give you the key." She quickly retrieves a key from her knapsack and places it into the palm of his hand. Her fingers gently brush his palm and she can feel a bit of heat radiating from his body. Trying not to blush, she straightens her shoulders and makes her way towards the double doors, narrowly missing a collision with Xander, who is entering the library.  
"Have a wonderful holiday. Merry Christmas!" she calls over her shoulder and is out the door before any of them have the chance to reply.

"What's up with her?" Xander states as he dumps his bag on the checkout counter, casually makes his way to the vacant seat next to Willow, and gracelessly collapses into it. Giles sighs and scratches the back of his neck gently as he reviews Mackenzie's translation. How useful it would be to have her working with them full-time rather than on a part-time basis. Her linguistical knowledge would be a definite asset to the Watchers Council, he muses turning back to the conversation of Christmas weekend festivities— a conversation he only picks up bits and pieces of- as his mind, entirely fixated on a young college student and the moment, while far too brief and innocent, shared between them.

Buffy immediately notices his far-off gaze and rolls her eyes— seriously? She thinks to herself and wonders why he doesn't just do them all the favour and ask Mackenzie out.  
"Earth to Giles?" she waves a hand in front of his face and he snaps out of it. "So we're on for this weekend right?" he merely nods absently.  
"An evening full of Christmas specials as we can manage accompanied by popcorn and other junk food with lots and lots of sugar!" Xander announces and they all laugh as they get back to the research and homework. Giles remains relatively quiet for the rest of their time together, in fact he doesn't seem to share his findings and Buffy merely sits back and observes him silently.  
"Don't forget dinner at my place." Buffy adds as they collect their various books, papers, laptops, and other possessions. "Giles, I'm going home to have dinner with my mom tonight. I'll patrol when the sunsets and head over to your place to check in. Okay?"  
"Yes, of course Buffy. Need I remind you…"  
"I'm always careful." She punctuates her statement with a long look, before turning on her heel and heading out the double doors into the lightly lit now empty halls of Sunnydale High.

The weekend quickly arrives and one by one, they arrive at Giles' flat, sleeping bag, overnight bag, and plastic bags bursting with what Giles cringes at Xander's reference as sugary goodness. They set themselves up in the living room— his television may not have been a big or flat screen, but it had long ago been decided that it hardly mattered, when in reality it was truly just spending the time together as the gang. Giles receives another bag and heads to the kitchen to figure out the best way to put out their provisions.  
"Everyone bring money to order pizza?" Xander announces in between biting and chewing what Giles can only deduce to be Red Vines.  
"Yup!" they reply as they set their sleeping bags in their designated places. Giles, of course would have the sofa, but for the beginning of the evening, they would all pile onto the sofa shoulder to shoulder and enjoy the corniness of _Charlie Brown's Christmas_ , followed by _Frosty the Snowman_ , then a film about Rudolf the Red nosed reindeer. The last film would be Giles' favourite and the 1939 black and white _A Christmas Carol_ with Reginald Owen.

With the pizza ordered, snacks set on the coffee table in front of them— Giles sits back and watches the predictable films with a smile caressing his lips as he enjoys his time with his American family. The loud knock at the door interrupts his thoughts and he stands to get the door.  
"Money for the pizza is on your desk," Xander says over his shoulder. Giles nods and picks up the money before opening the door.  
"Thank you." He says as the pizza guy pulls the boxes of pizza from the insulated bag with a big grin. "Keep the change." He adds.  
"Thanks mister." His face lights up with his reply. Giles smiles to himself as he closes the door and heads back to the kitchen to set the food up for them. He pulls two pieces for himself and sets them on a plate, picks a knife and fork from the cutlery drawer, then finds the napkins and makes sure to pick one up on his way out of the kitchen, the rest of the family not far behind.

Forgetting something to drink, Giles sets his plate on the coffee table with a quiet sigh and heads back to the kitchen and the heard plucking pieces of pizza from the boxes, grabbing napkins, and drinks from the fridge. Xander and Willow make their way back to the couch as he enters the gully kitchen and finds Buffy still trying to decide which type she wants.  
"One of each might help." He suggests with a wink. Startled, she turns to face him.  
"Yeah, I guess." She replies as she pulls a piece from one box, closes the lid and then a second piece from the other box. "Why didn't you invite Kenzie to join us?" she inquires quietly. The others wouldn't notice them, Watcher-Slayer time and all.  
"She's leaving to visit her family for the holidays. I think she'll be back just before classes resume at the university." He replies just as quietly. Buffy immediately notices an odd look that clouds over his emerald eyes— Not that she spent a great deal of time looking into his eyes, but it suddenly occurs to her that their hue tended to depend on his mood, or the way the light would play with them. In which case, they might shift from the lightest of emerald towards a deep, rich jade tone.  
"Oh, I see." Appearing satisfied with his answer Buffy picks up her plate, a napkin and grabs a can of diet Dr. Pepper. Giles lets her scoot by and opens the fridge to see about a can of Ginger Ale.

The week before Christmas Eve flew by, everyone busy with getting ready— buying last minute gifts, planning social events to attend or host, and revising menus. Buffy, in fact sat at the dining room table with her mother discussing their menu, the table setting, seating plan, and inevitable slumber party— complete with more junk food then the grocery store could accommodate. Willow made sure that all her homework was completed, so she would have time to read the mountain of books she had purchased the week before break. Xander just made sure that the bare minimum of school work was done and decided to start his Christmas shopping on Thursday morning. While the week flew by for everyone— Giles found himself missing someone, which was only reinforced by house-sitting and the collecting of her mail. It isn't as though she would return such feelings, he scolds himself as he plucks her mail from the mailbox and heads back to his flat.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie snuggles into the sofa, tucking herself within the warmth of a fluffy blanket, a steaming cup of hot chocolate sitting on a coaster on the coffee table in front of her and a thick textbook open on her lap— only she finds herself distracted and re-reading the same paragraph once again.  
"Kenzie, how would you like to join me for some retail therapy?" her mother inquires from the archway. She looks up from her textbook, glances at her hot chocolate and smiles widely.  
"Sounds like a plan." She replies and lets the book close. Setting it on the coffee table, she quickly folds the blanket and sets it on the arm of the sofa, picks up her mug of hot chocolate to take to the kitchen.  
"Are you all right?" her mother usually can tell when she's a bit melancholy and usually doesn't press the issue, but it's her favourite holiday and seeing her little girl out of sorts bothers her.  
"Yeah mom, why wouldn't I be?"  
"Oh I don't know honey, you don't appear to be yourself." Having already put her boots on, she plucks her winter coat from the coat rack, puts on her gloves and places her purse on her shoulder. Mackenzie follows and together they make their way out to the car.

Christmas Eve finds Giles home alone with a bottle of scotch, a glass, and his memories. The ringing of the telephone snaps him out of his thoughts and he quickly leans forward placing the tumbler on the coffee table and reaches across to the side table to the offending noise.  
"Hello?" he removes his glasses and sets them aside.  
"Merry Christmas Giles." Her voice is like music in his ears and he finds himself smiling like a fool.  
"And a Merry Christmas to you as well, my dear— although isn't it a tad early?" he inquires and allows himself to sit back and sink into the sofa.  
"Oh I know, but tomorrow will be crazy busy and if I recall you're going to be over at Buffy's for dinner and another slumber party?" he could hear the grin in her voice.  
"We'll see about that." His reply, she laughs at his obvious discomfort.  
"Did you not survive the movie fest slumber party last weekend?" she inquires enjoying the lightness and ease of their conversation.  
"Yes. However, it wasn't a walk in the park by any means." It would have been bearable had you been here too, he keeps to himself.

"Sorry to turn this into a bit of a business call." She pauses, waiting to see if he stops her. "I wanted to ask you a quick question about the other text you asked me to translate."  
"Yes?" despite the fact he would much prefer to discuss non-demonic activity, he coaxes for her to continue.  
"I'm having a bit of difficulty with one passage. I can have Adam take a look at it, if that's okay with you. Or I can wait till I return and see if what I have is anywhere near what you can get out of it."  
"I'm sure you have it. It occurs to me that you are quite the brilliant linguist— I only wish I had your talent." He compliments her and can sense her blush.  
"Well I'll keep working on it." He can hear her running her fingers over what he thought might be the text. Almost wishing she didn't have to end the call, she takes a breath. "Well I really just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. I'll see you after the New Year." She adds.  
"Thank you." He says in a quiet tone. "If you need anything at all, feel free to call anytime." He pauses. "And have a wonderful Christmas." He adds in a cheerful tone wishing for more than a telephone call.  
"Thank you. For everything." She says and reluctantly pulls the receiver away from her ear and quietly cradles it in the base.

Sighing loudly, Mackenzie returns to the living room, her family and Duncan who are all sitting around a coffee table filled with odds and ends— a cheese tray, assorted crackers, candies, chocolates, nuts, fruit, spring rolls, and sausage rolls.  
"You okay?" Duncan asks quietly as she takes her place beside him on the sofa. She shrugs her shoulders and nods.  
"Sure, why wouldn't it be?"  
"I don't know." He rolls his eye indicating that he thought he knew more than he was saying. They quickly and easily join the conversation. The lights are dim, the tree lights are gently flickering, a fire dances in the fireplace, and Christmas music plays quietly in the background. Save a few more clichés, this night was just like every other Christmas Eve in the Lamont household— family and close friends was the only way to spend the season.  
Thankfully, Christmas at home is a wonderful mixture of goodly family togetherness, hanging out with her friends, training, and still finding the time to get some studying in as well.  
"Hey, mom?" Mackenzie enters the kitchen, "do you need any help?" she inquires taking in her mother's apron, the pet mixing bowls, measuring cups scattered, and various baking tins line with parchment paper, or sprayed with olive oil.  
"That wouldn't be an offer I'd pass on." She holds out an apron and returns to what Mackenzie deducted to be gingerbread batter. Quickly catching up on the treat menu, they blast the radio station that plays Christmas twenty-four hours till Christmas Day and continue their baking. Other preparations are also underway for their annual family and friend Christmas Eve party, as well as for the main meal. Mackenzie always wished she could be as amazingly organised as her mother— to the point where nothing could ruffle her feathers.

Mackenzie slowly awakens— still feeling hung over by all the food she recalls consuming over the past few days. Boy, will I ever be glad to be home, she muses as she pushes the blankets off her body, swinging her long legs over the edge of the bed and sits for a moment letting her toes dig into the plush carpet enjoying the softness underfoot before slowly making her way to the bathroom. Regardless of how 'off' she felt, she had decided that she was going to go for a morning run before breakfast. Quickly brushing her teeth, she places the toothbrush back in its place, she then sweeps her hair into a clumsy ponytail, and returns to her bedroom to dress. Quietly, she makes her way downstairs and sits on the bottom step to tie her running shoes.  
"Morning run?" Duncan's voice is barely above a whisper and nearly causes her to have a heart attack. She nods as she stands.  
"Looks like you had the same idea." She smiles and reaches for the doorknob. "Want some company?" he inquires. She nods and motions for him to follow. They run a familiar route towards the ravine and keep a steady pace. It isn't long before comfortable conversation begins.

"So Matt huh?" Duncan tilts his head and gives her an odd look that tells her he doesn't believe her.  
"Yup. He asked me out for coffee before the holiday." She replies simply. Duncan can tell that she's not quite all Matt this and Matt that the way she has been with Giles, but he was happy to see her seeking balance.  
"Are you sure that you're okay with leaving early with us before New Years?" Duncan asks to clarify an earlier conversation.  
"Yes, of course. I was actually thinking that it would be good to get back to a routine before school starts back up again. Training and Watcher business, you know?"  
"And Giles, I mean Matt." He amends and she can picture his raised eyebrow and tries not to let herself blush, smile, or give him any indication that the former might actually be the case.  
"Duncan really?" she stops and he follows suit. A loud sigh escapes her lips as she attempts to put her thoughts into words. "What makes you think that there's anything or could be anything between Giles and myself? Why can't you just accept that I'm not serious, but I'm seeing Matt?"  
"How shall I put this exactly?" he pauses with a bright smile, "aside from the fact that I've been around long enough to tell. Just for starters, the way that you two are with each other, especially in such a short period of time is an illustration that there is **something** brewing between you."  
"But Duncan, you and I are **very** close. I mean, Buffy even assumed that we were far **more** than just training buddies."  
"I have to say that there is difference." He interjects.  
"Oh really?" she cocks a brow. "Let's see shall we? Could it be that I've known you since I was thirteen? I suppose that could potentially put a damper on things, wouldn't it?"  
"What?" he stares at her taken aback by her blunt statement.

"Duncan, face it. You hardly see me as a woman— you will always see me as a young girl; and that's okay, I'm good with that. My friends on the other hand have always wondered about us— why we never developed romantic feelings." She exhales and her breath forms a soft cloud of condensed air against the cold. He tilts his head, stops in the middle of the bridge and leans against the railing. She stops and stares at the semi-frozen river for a long moment. "Duncan, it's way too early to know if there is anything between us anyways when we haven't had the opportunity to test those waters— and even if we wanted to, there are far too many complications that may inevitably result in a friendship, or none at all. Giles is working hard researching the upcoming ascension, which neither you nor Adam appear to have heard of, and all I've been doing is helping out with some translations. None of this is compromising my education, my Watcher researching position, or my training with you. Should this happen, you have permission to kick my ass." She pushes herself off the railing and he follows.

"Kenzie, I know you and I don't want to see you get hurt." Duncan puts a hand on her shoulder to reassure her that he isn't against her. "Just always remember that Joe and I are here for you. I know that once you make up your mind—whether its Giles or Matt, it's as good as made and the only thing I can do is be there for you— catch you when you fall." She smiles and pulls him into an embrace.  
"Thanks for that." She whispers and breaking the embrace, than pulls him by his arm to resume their run.  
"Besides, if I told you I didn't like him, you'd happily leave Matt in the dust and run towards him just to spite me."  
"You really are terrible!" she calls over her shoulder as they race to the mouth of the ravine. The grey sky is almost colourless and the clouds are hanging low and no doubt filled to the brim with fresh snow waiting to fall. They pause at the top of the hill and catch their breaths before continuing home. About a block away she stops in her tracks and gently tugs on his arm to slow him.  
"You're right." She states in her matter of fact tone, one Duncan knows all too well. They stop in their tracks.  
"I'm right? About what?" he inquires, his Scottish accent soothing and calming her as she prepares for her big confession.

"Normally, I would tell my mother something like this." she pauses and he can sense the 'however'. Thank goodness it isn't terribly cold, she muses. "I will admit that a certain Englishman has caught more than just my attention." They begin walking at a comfortable pace. "It's just that." She suddenly feels as though she cannot say another word, "just a crush." More under her breath, but he catches it nonetheless.  
"Kenzie, whatever you want to say will be in the strictest of confidence." He stops and tugs her arm for her to follow. She looks up into his chocolate brown eyes and sees his compassion, she smiles and takes a deep breath. "You haven't killed anyone? And even if you have, you know that you can come to me." He adds, although it is of some comfort, it truly does very little to put her at ease. However, what she has to say suddenly feels significant enough to share with someone. She knows that she can no longer stall, so she takes another deep breath.

"As you know, I've been helping Giles with researching various demons, spells, researching the ascension, and assisting with translations whenever I can." She recalls her conversation with her brother, and they pause once more, a comfortable moment. "Anyways, the extra hours spent at the library helping, while not entirely close quarters and not always private— as during the day and even into the evening hours Willow, Xander, and even Buffy are there." Her voice falters slightly. "It's probably just a silly romantic notion or something of the like, but there have been glances and times when our hands touch, you know when you're reaching for the same book, but neither realise that the other is reaching for the same book— there seems to be sparks. Having said that, I could be totally wrong and just imagining it." She looks down at her shoes as if they have become the most interesting thing next to the slushy pavement. "And if I've miss read, it could adversely impact the relationship itself and our established friendship." Her sigh is quiet and her eyes have darkened slightly to emphasise the seriousness of her contemplations.

Duncan reaches out and places a comforting hand on her shoulder. With a gentle squeeze he takes a deep breath.  
"Kenzie, unlike Rupert I've had the privilege to have known you for several years now. From the rambunctious teenager, bloom into the beautiful, intelligent, young woman standing before me today. I'm fairly certain in the time that you've shared, Rupert sees you in the same light." He lowers his gaze and gives her one of his lopsided smiles. She exhales slowly and processes what he's just said and smiles back, still unsure if he's right. She gently reciprocates the gesture, placing her hand on his arm and nods. "Having said that, if Matt is the right now guy till the two of you figure things out. Just don't do anything stupid."  
"Thanks for listening." She adds and they resume walking home. "Richie's been doing very well with all of his training." She comments, quickly changing the subject.  
"I wish he was far more focused in terms of his future."  
"How so?" she inquires lightly.  
"He has the whole immortal thing down; however, I just wish he would continue his education. Go to college at the very least."  
"Mac, school isn't for everyone you know." She says as they walk up the drive to the front door.

She unlocks the door and they step into the foyer, already removing their running jackets and shoes.  
"Are you sure you're okay with leaving early?" he stops her before she heads upstairs for a shower. "From what I can tell, you usually do a family thing for New Years." She nods her response.  
"True, but I really do have a lot of school work I want to get done. And there are a few texts that I'm still working on their translations— Adam has offered his help as well and seeing that he's on campus for the holidays, I thought I'd pop in and see if he can give me a hand with them." He nods.  
"I just want to be sure." He winks and she shakes her head, feeling a blush slowly rising from her neck up to colour her cheeks. Turning away with a light huff, she heads upstairs to her room and the awaiting hot shower.

Driving back to Sunnydale, Mackenzie reflects on her visit home. Spending time with her family— dividing her time between her parents and brother. Hanging out with her friends— going to see the latest films, eating out at their favourite restaurants, and just chilling at each other's homes. It truly had been a jam packed two weeks and somehow while inviting as staying and ringing in the New Year with her family felt, getting home back to Sunnydale and her routine before classes resumed felt far more comforting. The car coming to a halt brings her from her holiday reflections.  
"Kenzie, I thought you might be hungry," Joe says brightly as he cuts the engine and they remove their seatbelts and exit the car. Making their way to the small grill, she smiles to herself as they enter and she always has an idea what she's going to order.

They have a light lunch and get back on the road.  
"So Kenzie, what's the first thing you're doing do when you get back?" Duncan inquires, already having a pretty good idea.  
"I'll see what time we get back. I may just have some dinner and hit the books." She pauses. "I have been doing some Watcher journal research on Methos."  
"Methos?" Joe catches her eyes in the rear view mirror.  
"I've been trying to track him through the journals to see roughly how old he really is. At least in terms of what the Watchers actually know of him. I find it fascinating that he's been around for as long as he has. Has had a life that no one would believe and the Watchers only have him pegged at two thousand years old, when from the history he can recall he's probably older than the five thousand he estimates his age."  
"This is personal research, not official Watcher research right?" Joe cocks a thick brow.  
"Don't worry Uncle Joe— Methos is totally safe with me. He's helped me with so many aspects of my Watcher education, in particular with my language study, it's the least I can do. I couldn't imagine what the Watchers Council would do if they knew he 'joined' them." She laughs and Duncan even lets a quiet chuckle escape his lips.

"We live within the confines of a secret society Uncle Joe. And then with my situation, which is rather similar to his, in that if I become an immortal everything will change. What would the Council do?" she cannot help but wonder out loud. He takes a moment to contemplate her inquiry— in fact, he had never actually given it any thought at all of what could potentially be should she experience a violent death.  
"Well, I actually don't know— what I do know is that there is no way I can discreetly find out. I would hate to see the aftermath should Horton find out." His response making Duncan wonder if there were other Watchers who had become immortal. It was one thing for Methos to be masking around as a Watcher named Adam Person— if found out, what would the ramifications be?  
"None of us will breathe a word, and you know Methos. He's likely to do his thing and disappear for a century or something." Mackenzie says as she lets her head rest against the headrest with the hope she can just close her eyes and not think about it, nor **ever** have to be concerned with finding out the answer.

It's nearly five-thirty when they arrive in Sunnydale and Mackenzie is happy to be that much closer to home. The only thing she dreads is having to pop in the grocery store as she is sure that most of her perishables will have to be green binned. Her mind quickly creates a systematic to-do list as they turn down a familiar street leading to Duncan's home/dojo. Joe pulls the car into an empty slot beside Duncan's black Ford Thunderbird. They get out and help him with his bags.  
"Want to come up and order something for dinner?" he inquires as he opens the side door and they step inside.  
"I'm not sure about you guys, but I want to get to the grocery store and pick up a few things like milk and fresh fruit and veggies." Mackenzie almost stifles a yawn. Both Joe and Duncan smile. "Besides, no offence, but I just need a bit of me time. A nice hot bath, a good book— you know?" she adds as she quickly gives Duncan a hug. Joe shakes his hand and he picks up his bags and heads upstairs. Joe and Mackenzie return to the awaiting car.

Once home with her groceries, Mackenzie closes the door behind her and hears the lock before picking up her grocery bags and heading to the kitchen. She quickly unpacks the groceries and puts them away, tucking the plastic bags in a holder screwed to the inside of a lower cupboard door. She just makes her way back to the small foyer to pickup her bags from her holiday when, with a gentle smile, she thinks that she ought to head over to Giles' to pickup her mail and extra house key— but finds herself far too drained. I think I'll get myself sorted out first, she muses picking up her bags and dragging herself upstairs to unpack and answer the call of a long hot bath. Tomorrow will be the return to routine, training and study, and Watcher research. The hot water fills the tub—she tips a bit of vanilla scented bath wash into the stream and lights and places a vanilla scented candle beside the bathtub. Stripping out of her clothes, Mackenzie takes in the soft glow of the room and the relaxing scent.

Lowering herself into the water, she closes her eyes momentarily and sinks into the tub, the soft bubbles bobbing around her shoulders and she sighs in contentment. This is what I've needed all week she allows her head to rest against the air pillow. Her fingers find the washcloth and she tips a bit of body wash onto it and runs it over her body— she can feel any residual tension in her muscles slowly let go of her and she sighs once more. Washing her hair last, she pulls the plug and picks the plush towel, wraps it around her slender form and steps out of the tub. The remainder of her evening ritual is quick, flossing and brushing her teeth, putting moisturiser on her body and cream on her face— she heads back to her bedroom to select fresh pyjamas, navy striped men's style bottoms and a deep navy tank top, she slips the light blue housecoat on, places her feet in her slippers she heads back downstairs to make sure the house is locked up and the lights are turned off. I'll head over to Giles' to pickup mail and the spare key tomorrow, she muses heading back up to her bedroom to climb into bed and submit to sleeps embrace.

Turning onto her side, Mackenzie feels the Californian morning sun caress her face as it seeps in through the open curtain, spilling onto her bed. Well, there went my treat of sleeping in this morning, she sighs to herself and quickly selects her clothes for the day— hanging them on a hook and almost as quickly prepares herself for the day. Downstairs, she puts the television on to catch the news while preparing breakfast— she then sits herself at the breakfast bar to eat. With it being the week between Christmas and New Years, Mackenzie was quite sure of Giles being home— unless, of course, he was at the school library with Buffy, training or doing research. What was it with evil? She thinks while rinsing and placing her dishes in the dishwasher and wiping the counter with a damp cloth.

Arriving at Giles' doorstep, Mackenzie held a bag in her hand and brought her knuckles to gently brush the wooden door. Almost thinking he was out, she turns to head back to her place and get ready to head over to Duncan's when the turn of the lock and a creak causes her to remain planted in her spot.  
"Ah Mackenzie! You're back early. Come in." He sounds surprised, yet the soft crooked smile sends a warm rush through her, as he moves aside to allow her access to his flat— is that a bit of heat? She wonders as she makes her way into the living room and sits on the sofa. I'm just imagining it, she scolds herself.  
"Duncan and Uncle Joe wanted to head back early— and well, I have to admit that as great as the holiday is, it was a little much for me." She finds herself babbling. "Before I forget." She stands and holds out the festive bag. "I hope that I'm not overstepping any boundaries, but I wanted to give you something to thank you for making sure my home was still standing when I returned, which by the way, I'm sorry I didn't stop in last night— but I just really needed some down time."

He nods and smiles his ascent as he receives the bag from her and they sit while he politely pulls the tissue paper out of the way. He hadn't expected her to actually wrap the gift as well, as it appeared that once someone utilised a gift bag and tissue paper, the need to wrap the gift was moot. It warmed him that she had thought of him and had taken the extra time. Not wanting to rip through the paper, he carefully pulls the tape at the end and slides the box free. She watches as he lifts the lid from the top and spreads open the last barrier of tissue with his fingers. Nestled within the tissue a silver iPod Shuffle.  
"I know its technology and you're really into the books, but." She pauses not stopping herself from reaching out and touching his arm to reassure him. "I managed to program it with most of your record collection."  
"How did you?"  
"Well, let's just say that I pay attention to you when you speak." She replies and he picks up the slim gadget and turns it between his fingers. His eyes rest on the inscription. In an old fashion scroll:

 _For Rupert Giles  
An incredibly rare find_

 _Kenzie  
1998_

He tilts his head as he places the Shuffle back in the box, setting it on the table he stands and closes the distance between them.  
"Thank you." He sits next to her and wraps his arms around her. She smiles with relief. "Just don't tell the others." He chuckles lightly and they both find it difficult to part just yet.

"I have you mail." He finally says walking to his desk and the pile of envelopes.  
"Oh yes, the dreaded bills." She reaches out when her returns and then decides to place it on the coffee table. "So how was your Christmas?" she inquires, tucking her stocking feet underneath her and leaning towards him, placing her arms on the sofa arm. He sits forward in the leather armchair and begins to recount the events from the movie night to dinner at Buffy and her mothers. They share some laughs and even enjoy the momentary silence that oddly isn't uncomfortable. Not that she wants to, but Mackenzie checks the time and nearly drops over.  
"Oh my!" she exclaims standing abruptly. Giles also notices how quickly the time flew, but for him it was of little consequence, he would still be able to make it to the library and have time to spare before Buffy and her friends would arrive. "I'm sorry, I have to get going. Duncan is expecting me for training. How is the research coming along?"  
"It's coming. I really appreciate your assistance. It has made it a lot easier." He watches as she picks up the mail from the coffee table and then reaches for her elbow to guide her towards his front door. "Will we be seeing you at the library?" he inquires with a touch of, what she wondered or hoped was, hope in his tone. She smiles and nods before happily making her way across the courtyard to her condo.

Quickly going inside, she places the mail on the table in the foyer, plucks her gym bag from its place beside the door, closes the door once again, checks that it's locked, and walks to her car to drive over to the dojo.  
"I was wondering if you had forgotten our session." Duncan teases while Richie emerges from the change room.  
"Hey." Richie says while running the towel over his red hair with a wide grin.  
"Hey." She replies while setting her bag on a nearby bench, grabs her towel and water bottle and makes her way towards Duncan to begin their training— quick sprints to quickly warm up her body and then a quasi-yoga stretching session then they got down to the physical training. Today, hand-to-hand— Duncan wanting to be sure that no matter what situation she may get herself into, she would be perfectly capable of extracting herself from said situation. He pauses in the middle of a counter-attack and she too stops dead in her tracks, following his gaze towards the main doors. A sigh of relief as Methos enters, complaining under his breath once again.

"I thought we were meeting later today." Duncan states as they stand down completely and bow in respect to signify the end of their sparring match. Methos sits himself on a bench and observes for a moment before speaking.  
"Kenzie, I've looked over your translation and its spot on. I just wish that it was good news." He states as she wanders to her water bottle and takes a much-needed gulp of water.  
"So not what I wanted to hear." She huffs and sinks down on the floor at his feet, leaning against the bench for a moment in thought, feeling the wood dig into her mid-back. "Are you sure you haven't seen anything this **hinky** in all your years?" he thinks for a moment, considering her question.  
"I suppose when you're just trying to ensure your own survival, you don't take much stock in what's going on around you." He replies calmly. "This isn't supposed to happen till June, right?"  
"Right, Sunnydale Highs graduation isn't going to be anything like mine." She says darkly. "There's something wrong when you **know** that someone is bad and going to be doing something wrong that you can't stop them before things really get out of hand." Methos cocks a brow. "Is it so wrong when you would potentially be saving a bunch of high school kids?" she adds as she rests her forehead on her knees.

"This is why we need a really **good** plan."  
"I agree, but Kenzie, this isn't **your** fight. As I recall, Giles states that it's the Slayer's and the Slayer's alone." She nods, but Duncan and Giles both know that she'll get as close to the action as she can without getting hurt or dead.  
"I just want to be able to help."  
"The best thing you can do is probably stay away. Should someone become distracted, things might not go according to plan." Methos rests a hand on her shoulder. She thinks about what he said and rolls her eyes.  
"I can't believe that New Years Eve is the day after tomorrow, which means that school starts back up again and we have under five months to work out the kinks." She sighs and takes another sip of water. "I guess I better get going. I have Watcher research to tend to." She stands quickly, runs the towel over her face and drapes it over her shoulders. Methos observes her with a wide smile. She doesn't appear to notice as she stands and begins packing her gym bag. "We have a session this Friday?" she inquires, pushing her arm through the length of the jacket and zips it up nearly to her chin. He nods, "see you then, or before." She quickly gives him a hug, "And thanks again for your help Methos." She hugs him as well before heading towards the door.

On her way out of the dojo, Mackenzie's phone rings and she quickly checks the caller ID before answering.  
"Hey there cutie." A distinctly male voice sasses her from the other end of the proverbial line.  
"What's up Matt?" she walks to her car and clicks the rear door open, dumps her gym bag in, and closes it with a loud thud.  
"I was hoping that you didn't have plans for New Years." His voice holds a tone of hope.  
"Well if you mean have I been asked out yet, I haven't." she replies with a grin he can hear from his end.  
"Oh really?" he pauses, "then consider yourself asked out." He says with confidence. With a laugh, she sighs and opens the driver's side door, climbs in and closes it. Turning the key, she lets it run long enough to get the heat going to take the chill off.  
"What if I don't want to go out with you?" she teases him.  
"Well, I was considering the kidnapping approach." He teases back.  
"What are the plans?"  
"There's a New Years party off campus that I thought would be the perfect setting for our first real date. I mean coffee, movies, and just sitting outside having lunch on campus is fun and all." Matt says casually.  
"Mini-dates are just as fun as date, dates. Why haven't we had what you call a real date?"  
"I was waiting for the perfect moment. And what better moment?" she can tell that he's just lying back either on a sofa or his bed and is comfortable.  
"You know what?"  
"What?"  
"I'm in." she replies and jots a few notes on a scrap piece of paper before hanging up and driving home. Just because the person you have eyes for doesn't return the sentiment doesn't mean you have to spend all your time waiting for them to realise, she muses smugly as she drives home.

The Scooby gang agree to meet up at Buffy's to decide on an evening out and then to return for their annual slumber party. Xander enters with his overnight bag, a sleeping bag and pillow, and a plastic bag with some choice sugary treats. Willow arrives next with similar items, but her plastic bag of goodies consists of chips and various dips— and Buffy groans at the thought of more food. Her stomach protests the thought of more junk. At least they all agreed to go out for dinner instead of having pizza, she had even managed to trick Giles into joining them— he said that he had something to tend to prior to meeting them at the restaurant and they were satisfied with his lack of explanation, figuring that it had to do with grown-up stuff, research, or other Watcher business.

Mackenzie stands in front of her full-length mirror trying to decide if the dress she has selected for this evenings New Years party with Matt is the right one. She loves the colour, a deep crimson with lace overlay and glittered thread, to the knee. A strappy pair of matching shoes add length to her already long, lean legs. Her hair pinned up with some curls strategically pulled to frame her slender face. Large sparkly earrings dangle from her ears, and she pulls a black lacy shawl to grace her shoulders to ward off a possible chill. A gentle rap on her front door brings her from her fussing and she glances at the clock. Matt isn't supposed to be here yet? She muses, wondering who could be at the door. Perhaps its Joe with some New Years Eve advice, she carefully makes her way downstairs. Opening the door, she is surprised with who stands before her.  
"Giles." She says with a smile. "Happy New Year." She moves aside to allow him access.

"I see I've come at a bad time."  
"Not at all." She smiles, her lips matching the deep crimson of her party dress.  
"You l-look lovely t-this evening." He adds with what she thought might be a slight blush.  
"Thank you." She replies casually, noting the hold her dress appears to have over him. "Is there something I forgot to include with your translation?" she inquires hoping that Matt doesn't choose that moment to show up.  
"Oh, no I wanted to thank you once again for your assistance in the matter. It has given us the upper hand." He says, as he shoves his hand in his pocket fighting the need to polish his always sparkling glasses.  
"You're welcome. I'm glad that I could be of some help." She replies, "I would offer you something, but." She pauses.  
"You are going out for the evening." He supplies for her.  
"As a matter of fact, I am." She glances once more at her watch. "Well, if he doesn't chicken out on me." She adds with a sigh.  
"If he has any marbles at all, he won't want to miss out on a lovely evening with a wonderful young lady." Giles smiles warmly and closes the distance between them.  
"Happy New Years, my dear." He adds and without much thought catches her in a soft embrace.  
"Thanks." She returns his embrace and when they gently break apart, the silence between them isn't awkward in the least.  
"I suppose I'll be seeing you next year." He adds with a wink and makes his way towards the door.  
"I hope you have a wonderful evening." She follows and watches as he makes his way over to his flat as Matt makes his way up the steps.

"My Mackenzie, you look **amazing**!" Matt exclaims, holding out a small bouquet of flowers. "I know, lame huh?" he adds as she smiles and smells them.  
"Thank you— and lame? Not terribly." He steps over the threshold and she closes the door. "Is this okay for this evening?" she inquires as she makes her way to the kitchen for a vase to arrange the flowers in.  
"Perfect." He replies simply. "I even tried dressing like a grownup." He opens his long raincoat to reveal an actual tux.  
"Oh thank God!" she exclaims, "I thought I went a bit overboard and would have to change into my backup outfit."  
"Which was?" he was legitimately curious.  
"Oh, just a pair of black pants, boots, and a lace up top with a leather jacket."  
"Really?"  
"Really, really." She smiles as they make their way back to the front door and he helps her with a light coat. "Thank you." He then opens the door for her and she steps through.

They arrive at a two-story home off campus. The front doors are opened by a butler, and there is a catering company with servers in black and white uniforms holding trays of canapés and other goodies, while others have wine— saving the champagne for later, Mackenzie takes in her surroundings as she allows Matt to lead her through the maze of people.  
"This isn't your average university New Years Eve event is it Matt?" he shakes his head.  
"Nope, but I didn't think you'd agree to tag along if I told you that this is my families early event." He pauses, "I hope you're not upset with me." He adds, placing a hand firmly on her lower back to lead her to a quieter place to sit and talk. "I'm in no way, shape or form looking to take advantage of you this evening." He clarifies. She lets out the breath she unknowingly had been holding.  
You could have told me." She tilts her head and a curl comes free from behind her ear. Matt reaches out to gently set it back.  
"Believe me, I wanted to. But whenever I meet a girl," he stumbles trying to find the words. "They have these unrealistic expectations."

"Expectations?" her eyebrows raise nearly to her hairline.  
"They see my family and assume that I'm a player. One of the reasons I couldn't bring myself to just call you for a simple cup of coffee."  
"You thought to just lay this one me instead?" she supplies.  
"Mackenzie, when we first met I knew you were different. Regardless of where we end up, I'm just glad to have had the chance to know you. If even for a moment." His words come more easily and she saw the sincerity behind them.  
"I have a confession." She breaks the comfortable silence between them.  
"What might that be?"  
"Well, for starters, my world is rather topsy-turvy in the sense that I am usually so busy I hardly know what day it is."  
"I actually noticed that." Her eyes widen slightly in disbelief.  
"You have?"  
"Yeah sure- when you're in class your all business like, when you're out of class I notice you spending quite a bit of time with that TA Adam Pearson and the guest professor Duncan MacLeod."  
"You don't know the half of it."  
"Try me."

Without being overly revealing, Mackenzie chooses her words carefully.  
"Well, let's see. Adam Pearson has been helping me with some very complex translations."  
"I recall you saying that you're a linguistic major." She only nods.  
"And Duncan and I kind of have known each other since I was a teenager and I train in self-defence with him." She found how easy it was to be honest without being too honest. This explanation appears to satisfy his curiosity. And the rest of the evening is spent in compatible conversation and joining the main party to ring in the New Year— with tacky party hats, streamers, and loud noise makers. They didn't stay much later after midnight, Matt wanting to make sure that Mackenzie made it home safely, retrieves their coats and make a quick exit. Walking her into the courtyard, they stop at the fountain.  
"This is actually quite a lovely complex." He comments as they resume their way to her flat  
"Thank you. We were really lucky." She slips the key into the lock and opens the door. "Would you care for something? I have to warn you that I may not be the best company." She adds with a slight yawn.  
"Perhaps we'll get out for that coffee another day?" he says hopeful. She nods and steps into his embrace, she kisses his cheek.  
"Thank you for a lovely evening." She adds and he nods his understanding before turning and heading down the steps.

Closing the door, Mackenzie reflects on the evening and hopes that if nothing else, she and Matt can continue to maintain a friendship. Yes, she liked him, but it wasn't the same— they lacked sparks. She removes her coat and carefully hangs it in the closet, undoes and steps out of her shoes before double checking that the door is secure and turns off the lights on her way upstairs. Recalling her evening with Matt, she would admit to, at the very least enjoying herself between talking and dancing, she had been glad to have agreed to attend the party with him, yet she couldn't help but wonder what a certain Watcher had been up to that evening. God! I have to stop this! She scolds herself as she strips out of her dress, placing it on a hanger to go to the cleaners and makes her way to the bathroom to ready for bed, she emerges in her pyjamas. Once again, finding herself drawn to the window, she walks across the room, pausing and reaches out to the filmy curtains. Pulling them aside to glance down at the vacant courtyard, she then lets go of the material and it slips back into place. Turning from the window to climb into bed and as she closes her eyes, she recalls the party and the shiny New Year that lay ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

Please note that all disclaimers can be found in the first chapter

As with the first semester, Mackenzie finds that there is no slowing down in the second and is incredibly thankful that all things academic quickly becomes a comfortable routine. Regardless of how busy she appeared, she manages to balance her studies, training, and helping Buffy and Giles with planning their attack for the impending Ascension – Boy! Times flies faster than sand through the hourglass. The fact enters her mind while she sat at a table in Joe's bookstore, a large paper cup of peppermint tea in her hands, staring out the large picture window.

"How's the studying?" Joe inquires as he stands in front of the table covered with various books, notes, and her laptop. Mackenzie looks up with a dear in the headlights expression on her face.  
"I hate finals!" she sighs and sits up in the chair, stretching slightly before  
pushing the notes in front of her aside.  
"How many exams do you have?"  
"I have a full course load, so I have five exams, two short papers and three major papers." She replies. "The good thing, for me, is that the course content overlaps in that I can draw from all of my relevant sources." She smiles and Joe nods his understanding.

"So Duncan and I were thinking about taking you out for dinner for your birthday," Joe says with a soft smile, a shine in his blue-grey eyes. Thinking for a moment she suddenly realises that her birthday isn't quite a month away.  
"Between papers and finals, I nearly forgot. I was going to do a whole celebrate surviving school. I hadn't given my birthday much thought." She tilts her head.  
"Well, keep a night open for us during your birthday week, okay?" he winks and she allows herself to smile. "That's better."  
"I'm sorry?"  
"You haven't smiled since you sat down. You've had a look of pure determination."  
"Like when I was doing my Watcher studies I imagine." She chuckles and he nods.  
"Exactly how I would put it as well."  
"Watcher training is serious business. I cannot imagine sitting there laughing and joking around. It isn't the same as."  
"Training with Duncan." He supplies.  
"Well, you got me there." She pauses in thought, "it's not as though you're not fun. We have had our moments outside of study, but I just wanted to be sure that I didn't let you down."  
"You could never let me down. Your parents and I are so very proud of you. You deserve all the happiness and success that you get." He places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "My dear, you could stand eating a good pasta dinner." He comments.  
"I eat." She replies, "Quite a lot actually." She adds just as the bell hanging over the door interrupts them, announcing the entrance of a potential patron.

"Ah, there you are!" Methos exclaims making his way to the table. "I've been nearly everywhere looking for you." He pulls out a chair, turns it around, straddles it and rests his arms on the back.  
"What is it?" she and Joe both look at him.  
"The Ascension is in two months."  
"Hardly on my mind at the moment Methos." She rolls her eyes and sits back in her seat. "And even if it were, I'm not allowed anywhere near the action." She adds.  
"Why not?" Methos' eyebrows furrow, "MacLeod!"  
"Yup." She replies with the 'enough said' expression. "Perhaps he does have a point when you think about it." He thinks for a moment and nods in agreement.  
"Yes, but how do feel about it?"  
"I've done my part in the research and helping to organise the plan of attack. I'm confident that they will be about to handle it." She picks up a pen and absently taps the pages in front of her.  
"Well here's some more info on your guy." He straightens, pulls open his jacket and retrieves some papers. "This should help to narrow down his weaknesses." He holds out the pages towards her.  
"Thank you so much." She receives the pages and places them into her knapsack resting on the chair beside her. "At least if I can't be there, I know they can kick the Mayor's ass." He smiles at her choice of words.

"So how are things with Matt going?  
"Okay, I guess. I've been so busy with school work and training. I have three research papers due before finals." She sighs and picks up a green highlighter. Getting the hint, Methos tilts his head and stands.  
"I'll see you later at Mac's?"  
"Not tonight. I'm going to finish my papers. He knows and understands— one is for his class." She plucks the cap from the highlighter and opens the book in front of her.  
"Well good luck with all that. And your finals as well. I know I can't imagine how fun it's going to be for me to spend two weeks marking papers and exams." He huffs.  
"Your choice there Methos, why not just finish your PhD and become a professor?"  
"Yeah right Kenzie, then I have to disappear for ten years and start again?"  
"Okay, I see your point. It's just that you have so much knowledge to impart on young minds, it's a shame that you keep it all to yourself."  
"I don't keep **all** of it to myself."  
"You don't?" she cocks a brow and tilts her head.  
"I share it with you." He winks and smiles brightly at her as he rises, turns the chair back, and pushes it under the table. She stands and gives him a tight hug before he turns to make his way out of the bookstore.  
"I guess I should head home as well and have something for dinner before I finish off these essays." She begins to gather her books, papers, binders, and various pens, pencils, and highlighters. Joe watchers for a moment before saying anything.  
"Kenzie, don't forget that you can use this space anytime you want to. Even if we don't talk, I like having you around again." He says warmly with a twinkle in his eye. She nods her understanding as she places the last of her things into her knapsack.  
"Thanks, Uncle Joe, I really appreciate that." She gives him a quick hug before picking up her knapsack and slinging it over her shoulders and heading out the door. She is grateful that the drive home is short, as she still has quite a few ideas for her essays running through her mind. She pulls into her parking slot and quickly gathers her knapsack from the backseat before closing the door and pressing the lock on the key fob twice— the light beep confirming that the SUV is indeed locked. Heading up the narrow path to the entrance of her complex, she always enjoys the walk into her 'world'.

Finally printing the last of her essays, Mackenzie stands and makes her way downstairs to make a cup of hot chocolate. The house is quiet— she had turned off the music upstairs that she had been listening to while composing her academic masterpieces. Taking her mug into the living room, she sets herself on the sofa, picks up the remote for the television and begins channel surfing. It's strange how at a time like this she finds herself wishing for companionship— someone to sit with and talk about the day, joke with her about the infomercials, or just sit with her quietly. Finally setting on an episode of _The Tudors_ , she pulls the warm blanket from the back of the sofa and drapes it over her legs.  
It isn't long before her break is over and she turns off the television, replaces the blanket in its place over the back of the sofa and saunters into the kitchen to place her mug in the dishwasher. Before making her way upstairs, she checks the front and back doors, to be sure that they are locked tightly, then turns the few lights she had on off before heading upstairs.

Making sure that her essays have finished printing, she quickly assembles them, cover pages and work cited. A smile of satisfaction caresses her lips and she places the pages into a file and then into her knapsack so she doesn't forget to take them to hand in the next day. She goes over to the window and closes it tightly before drawing the soft curtains, then makes her way out of the room, turning the light off behind her. At least it isn't that late, she muses as she takes time in conducting the evening's bedtime ritual. Climbing into bed, her thoughts return to Methos' packet of information that would provide them with a leg up in upcoming battle. Her last thoughts, while she knew they should be about Matt; however, weren't. In fact, they are of Giles, rather than scolding herself she just allows them to wash over her.

With her papers handed in and her final exam completed Mackenzie smiles brightly as she walks through the halls of UC Sunnydale looking forward to the summer.  
"Hey Mackenzie wait up!" she finally hears Matt's voice and turns around.  
"Oh hey." She smiles as he wraps her in a tight embrace. "Are you finished too?"  
"I have one more exam tomorrow and then I'm **free**!" he exclaims happily.  
"Good to hear that." She replies.  
"You doing anything right now?" he inquires.  
"I have a bit of time."  
"Enough time for lunch?"  
"Sure." She replies and they head off campus to one of their favourite little restaurants near Joe's bookstore.

Lunch is spent in comfortable conversation and moments of silence, that neither have the need to needlessly fill. She just finds herself wanting to soak up the sun and enjoy a moment of carefree thought.  
"Are you taking summer classes?" Matt inquires as the waitress brings their desert and coffees.  
"I was thinking about it. I just have to see what's available." She thinks about the course selection catalogue tucked within her knapsack.  
"By the way, what did you think of Professor MacLeod's exam? Wasn't that a killer?"  
"I really didn't notice." She replies honestly.  
"Well, I hope he's going to guest lecture again next year. His class was awesome." He adds with a grin and takes a careful sip of coffee. Mackenzie picks up her fork and cuts into the piece of celebratory cake sitting between them. "Good isn't it?" he winks and picks up his fork copying her previous actions, then brings the chocolate cake to his lips.

After lunch, they pay their cheque.  
"I must be on my way." Mackenzie pushes her chair back and picks up her knapsack.  
"We'll talk later?" Matt says with hope in his tone. She can only nod and quickly half hugs him before making her way to the high school. When she enters the library, a thick volume for Giles in hand along with the pages from Methos, she is greeted by a very odd scene. Buffy and Giles are sitting on the large wooden research table being lectured by another English gentleman with thin-rimmed glasses, dark short hair, and to her utter horror, he is dressed in tweed. This cannot be good, she muses, wishing she could back out the doors.

"Furthermore any research shall be conducted under my direct supervision. Any and all patrols will follow a specific route so that I may locate you should you **not** check in at the appropriate intervals." He ran through what felt more like a list of demands rather than a partnership. At least with Giles, Buffy always knew where she stood, even when she was in trouble. Suddenly sensing Mackenzie's arrival, the new gentleman spins on his heel and directs his gaze to her.  
"And you are?"  
"Mackenzie Lamont." She replies wondering what this guys deal is and how Giles could possibly put up with such an obvious royal pain in the ass. "Look, I'm here to return a book I borrowed from Giles." She adds and attempts to walk further into the library. He heads her off and attempts to obtain the book from her, she merely holds it tightly against her chest and manages to fake a left and dodge right so to speak and with a victorious smile hands Giles the volume.  
"The translation?"  
"The lined paper. I didn't want to mark the book." She winks and stays where she is. "And something from Adam as well." She adds with a whisper.

"Young lady, if you please?"  
"I forgot my manners," Giles says suddenly. "Mackenzie, this is Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. Buffy's new Watcher." Her eyes roam briefly from one Watcher to the other and then fall on Buffy, who can only sigh and shrug her slight shoulders.  
"When did this happen?" she inquires. "Giles you? The Council fired you? What the hell happened?" she couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
"Well, it's not really a long story so much as an unfortunate result of an archaic test."  
"Test?" her brows furrow and then her features soften.  
"The Cruciamentum." Buffy supplies. "Giles pretty much tried to kill me."  
"Buffy." He says weakly, still getting over the whole experience.  
"I know Giles. Essentially, the Slayer is given some cocktail that Giles and the Council know what, without her knowledge may I add, and she is placed in a very close to death situation as a 'mere mortal' as possible."  
"How could you?"  
"Buffy reached her eighteenth birthday and its tradition." He replies, the look in his eyes telling her that he hadn't wanted to participate, but had to nonetheless.  
"He was removed as my Watcher by Quentin Travers, cited as his having the father's love for a daughter." She finishes the shortest version possible.

"So what you're saying is… **This** is your Watcher?" Mackenzie nearly laughs at the thought.  
"Pretty much, no offence Wesley," Buffy says as he cocks a jet-black brow. "The whole situation takes some getting used to. Nay, he takes some getting used to, but so long as he doesn't interfere with our plan to head off the end of the world, its fine.  
"I'm sorry Giles," Mackenzie says simply as she picks up her nearly forgotten knapsack. "I'm glad that you passed the test though Buffy, I don't think Sunnydale would be as safe as it is with another Slayer." She turns to go, but stops in her tracks. Slowly turning around, she tries to smile. "If you need me for anything, just call." Giles nods curtly with crossed arms in obvious defiance of Wesley. Before she turns to leave, he mouths 'we'll talk' and it is her turn to nod her ascent, then turns on her heel and makes her way out the double doors— wondering if it will be the last time she sees the library intact.

The days leading up to the Ascension have everyone on edge to the point where even Xander couldn't even crack a joke. Giles had read the notes Mackenzie had given him from Adam regarding their attack on the Mayor and, happily, Xander's recollection of his 'military' training came in handy for assembling the lines. Recruiting the students on the down-low so that principal Snider was totally unaware was a piece of cake and as graduation day arrives, the students secretly conceal their arsenal under their burgundy robes.

"Everything in place?" Buffy inquires and the team nods. Even Cordelia manages to put on a brave, albeit painted face. As students pick up their robes, they conceal crosses underneath. Xander and Oz, Willow's new boyfriend who also happens to be a werewolf, have set up their first line of defence, two very large fire blowers that they hope will slow the snake-like creature they know the Mayor will morph into.

The students file as if being lead to slaughter— some, in fact, would lose their lives this day, but all had agreed that the cause would be well worth it. The usual graduation speeches are given, only Buffy notices the change in the air. There's an eerie chill in the air that increases as the time ticks down for the Ascension to begin. As Mayor Wilkins takes the podium, his speech bears the beginnings of the usual commencement.

"For all of you, it may be that there is a place in Sunnydale's history, whether you like it or not. It's been a long road getting here. For you… for Sunnydale. There has been achievement, joy, good times,… and there has been grief. There's been loss. Some people who should be here today… aren't. But we are. - Journey's end. And what is a journey? Is it just… Did distance travel? Time spent?" he pauses. "No." he shakes his head to emphasise his point. "It's what happens on the way, it's the things that happen to you. At the end of the journey, you're not the same. Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do. You ascend— to a higher level. Nothing will ever be the same."

"Nothing." He glances up at the sky and the sun is now totally blocked. The Mayor flinches in what appears to be pain, yet continues. "And so as we look back on," pain is now evident, as it sweeps across his features. "On the events that brought us to this day," another bout of visible pain washes over his body.  
"Come on." Buffy utters under her breath awaiting the precise moment that they will spring their attack on him.  
"We," another drawn-out pause and the students have become restless. "We must all. **AAAH**! It has begun! My destiny!" his toothy smile finally emerges. "A little sooner than I expected— I had this whole section on civic pride." He shuffles through his cue cards. "But I guess we'll just skip to the big finish!" he exclaims as Buffy and Willow quickly glance at each other— the Mayor's body starts to shudder in pain as he stretches and grows; transforming into a serpent demon with gross claw-like mandibles surrounding its mouth.

Now 'standing' higher than the school, the students all stand— but stay in their places staring up at the monster in front of them awaiting their cue as parents and faculty members run in a panic for their lives— some meeting their deaths at the hands of the vampires who have come for the free food.  
Buffy waits for one more millisecond, hoping Giles, Wesley and Angel are in place.  
" **NOW**!" She hollers as loudly as she can manage. In that moment, organised chaos ensues as the students disrobe to reveal their crosses and other weapons— some have swords or axes, while others have stakes. The back row, Oz included, have turned themselves to face the opposite direction and set their arrow tips aflame to combat the group of vampires that close in on the free meal.  
"Flame units!" she orders and they quickly begin their attack and the Mayor sways to avoid their attacks but is unable to completely avoid them and screams in protest.  
"First wave!" Xander shouts and students take aim at the Mayor, who in all the chaos swallows principal Snider and snuffs out his last words. A few students break from the line and are quickly vampire snacks.  
"Xander?" Oz grabs his attention and Xander quickly responds.  
"Arm bowmen." He waits while they quickly take their position. " **FIRE!**!" his voice booming and they release their arrows into the charging vampires in a spray and pray method.

Quickly taking in their situation and realising that they're casualties were quickly mounting.  
"Fall back!" she calls to the students surrounding her.  
"Fire!" Xander yells maintaining his line they push the vamps back, right into the awaiting line led by Angel and Wesley, who manages to turn the tide slightly in the good guy's favour. Pulling herself from the carnage, Buffy makes her way to face her foe. Stepping up to the serpent, she's holding a fair-sized blade—Faith's blade, the gift he gave her when she joined his side in the fight. That essentially grabs his attention— fixating it on her.  
"Hey! You remember this?" she questions him, taunting him with the jagged knife. "I took it from Faith. Stuck it in her gut." Her tone is sarcastic and the pause purely for dramatic effect. "Just slid in her like she was butter."

"You want to get it back from me… Dick?" she doesn't give him a moment to think, she's off running full tilt towards the school with him on her heels. She throws open the doors and sprints through the empty halls towards the library, he bursts through the halls, the sounds of screaming metal and the crackling of paper-thin concrete falling to the cheap linoleum floors. With a loud thud of her hands against the double doors, Buffy bursts through to the library with the Mayor far too close for comfort behind and runs through the stacks of fertilizer and explosives, awaiting the charge, towards Giles' office before bursting through the window. The serpent pauses and gazes around, taking in his surroundings, just long enough to realise his dire situation.  
"Well gosh." He says quietly in defeat.

Ignoring the rainfall of glass, Buffy lands on the grass and crouches low beside Giles, who confirms she is safely by his side, pushes down on the ignition which in turn ignites the awaiting explosives strategically placed in the library along with various locations of the high school, rendering it useless. They watch, as both are sure that Willow, Xander, Oz, Angel and others are no doubt doing— the realisation of victory trickling through the ranks and any vampires brave enough to have hung back thinking to feed on the carnage, find themselves in the position of retreat.

Her mind whirls as images of firefighters fight the blaze. That's a way bigger explosion then when I blew up the gym, she states nonchalantly as she makes her way towards her friends.  
"He made it through the fight," Xander says, meaning Angel. He only mentions it because he can see her frantically looking through the crowd. "Guess maybe he took off after." Buffy is still unable to fully process her surroundings. She blinks in disbelief that Angel wouldn't at the very least say goodbye. Considering the fact that they shared a past, she shakes the thoughts from her mind and blinks back the tears, she hardly notices when Giles sneaks up behind her and gently rests a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" he inquires gently and Buffy responds by covering his hand with hers.  
"I'm tired." She replies and he smiles down at her.  
"I should imagine so. It's been quite a couple of days."  
"I haven't processed everything yet." She laughs lightly and he's glad for it. "My brain isn't really functioning on the higher levels." She takes a much-needed deep breath. "It's pretty much— fire bad, tree pretty." He shakes his head in response.  
"Understandable. Well, when it's working again, congratulate it on a good campaign. You did very well." She can only nod, even that seems to hurt her head.  
"Thank you. I will." He replaces his glasses.  
"I ah," he pauses reaching into his jacket, "I managed to ferret this out of the wreckage. I'd say you earned it." He says gently and in a tone of fatherly pride and hands her the rolled up piece of paper. She looks up at him and gently takes it. He takes a deep breath looking around. "There is a certain dramatic irony," he says removing his glasses, "that's attached to all this. A synchronicity that borders on… one predestination, one might say." His use of the big words, not sitting well with Buffy in her daze and she looks up at him blankly.  
"Fire bad, tree pretty."  
"Yes, s-s0rry." He replaces his glasses. "I'm going to see to Wesley, see if he's… is still whimpering." She just catches a bit of a chuckle. He turns towards the ambulance they are loading a groaning Watcher into.

With a slight pout, Buffy still finds herself searching the now thinned out crowd for a familiar face. Angel, where are you? She wonders. Then just as if he heard her thoughts, a smile tugs at the corner of her light pink lips, as she stares at him. Clearly, he hadn't wanted her to actually see him and he merely wanted to be sure that she had made it through their ordeal in one piece. He hadn't imagined that seeing her again would affect him so. As if they were in a movie, they continue to stare at each other for what feels like forever, but would be only a moment as he turns on his heels and, without a word, walks away from her— disappearing into the smoke floating through the thick air. Too stunned to move, her feet glued to the pavement beneath her. She finally finds that she can turn away. Making her way through the scattered crowds, she sees Xander, Willow, Oz, and Cordelia huddled together.

With hands shoved deep in his pockets, Oz, the Zen one of the bunch, continues to observe his surroundings.  
"Guys, take a moment to deal with this." he pauses in thought for emphasis on his words. "We survived." Xander nods his agreement.  
"It was a hell of a battle," Buffy observes with a sigh.

"Not the battle. High School." They all look quietly at the demolished school and through the crackling embers can hear crickets chirping. "We're taking a moment." And the group find themselves wanting to get as far away from their situation as possible. "And we're done."  
"Well, Schools done," Cordelia states matter-of-factly. Xander grins.  
"It's ssso cool!" he exclaims happily.  
"Why do demons even come here anymore? I mean, don't they know…" Willow says as they walk away from the scene, nearly stepping on a lone maroon and golden Sunnydale High '99 yearbook— The Future is Ours graces the cover. How true that statement became to them.

Jumping out of the car, Mackenzie quickly dashes through the crowd towards the rubble that was Sunnydale High School in search of her friends and Giles. She meets the group as they are slowly making their way away from the high school.  
"Thank goodness, you're all okay." She breathes a sigh of relief.  
"Yup, survived high school and you know what? I think college will be a piece of cake." Willow says happily. "Oh, if you're looking for Giles, he's by the ambulances. I think Wesley's having a heart attack or something." She smiles and hugs Mackenzie before catching up with the group. "See you later!" Willow calls over her shoulder and Mackenzie smiles before quickly making her way to the small group of emergency vehicles. She didn't see him but somehow can sense him before he touches her.  
"Giles I'm so glad that you're all okay." She says with relief, covering his hand with hers before turning around and flinging herself into his arms.  
"Yes, well we'll quite all right." He says in a soothing tone that causes her to lift her head.  
"You're very calm for a near end-of-the-world experience." She says they don't let go and he chuckles.

"Thankfully, the Ascension has been averted, but." He pauses.

"There will only be another situation around the corner." She sighs and slowly untangles her arms and steps back. "Whoa." She manages as she takes in her surroundings. "It's amazing how much damage can be done in a moment." He nods his ascent. "How's Wesley? Willow said something about a heart attack?"  
"She's exaggerating." He smiles and she returns his smile. "I think he may have experienced a bit of hand-to-hand combat."  
"And he couldn't manage it?" she cocks a brow. "You can easily hold your own." She adds and he cannot stop the heat rise from his collar to his cheeks. She acts as though she hasn't noticed. "Do you need a ride anywhere? Or did you bring your car?" she inquires.  
"That would be appreciated." He replies and holds out his arm for her to thread hers through and together they walk to her SUV.

For Buffy and her friends, it felt as though the summer flew by far too quickly. Xander had yet to return from his cross-country driving tour. Oz had spent a large chunk of the summer touring with his band The Dingoes. This left the girls to their own devices. Buffy and Willow crammed as much free time as they could hanging out and shopping— even trying to convince Mackenzie to hang with them in between her summer courses as well. Buffy also managed to spend quite a bit of time with Giles training, preparing herself for when she wouldn't have his guidance. Mackenzie enjoyed her summer courses, finishing finals and essays left her with a very short mini-vacation with her family in Seacouver— where, like her friends in Sunnydale, she spent as much time as she could with her family; dividing her time between her parents and brother and whatever time she had left over with her friends.

When Mackenzie returns to Sunnydale, she wants to reconnect with Duncan and Joe but finds herself emerged in organisation mode. After hitting the campus bookstore and getting her books and a new academic planner, she heads home and colour codes her courses and sets her magnetic whiteboard to match— dividing the space with black to create five distinct spaces to record assignment due dates and results. She then pulls out files to organise her assignments for future filing, labelling them by course code and professor with black permanent marker, she then uses the coloured highlighter to easily identify the proper file to place a completed assignment. With the windows wide open and her music playing loudly, she nearly misses the doorbell— a lull in the piece playing and another loud ding causes her to nearly drop the file in hand. She turns off the music and races towards the top of the stairs.

"Just a moment." She calls as she bounds downstairs and quickly heads to the door. Checking the peephole, she swings open the door. "Hey, Giles. Come on in." She says brightly and tilts her head to the side with a smile and steps aside to allow him access.  
"I just thought I would bring your mail over." He says as he holds out the envelopes.  
"Thank you so much. I'm sorry, I got so wrapped up in catching up that I totally forgot my manners." She accepts the mail and sets it on a nearby table in the foyer. "Would you care for a cup of tea? Or anything?" she inquires comfortably and he nods.  
"A cup of tea would be nice." He replies casually and she motions for him to take a seat. He sits at the island and watches her as she fills the electric kettle with fresh cold water and turns it on.

"It's going to be a few minutes." She says as she continues to collect the needed cups and saucers, tea bags, a cut glass dessert plate for some cookies, and the milk. She then leans against the counter and waits. "I haven't really had the opportunity to ask how you are?" she inquires. "I mean, the Ascension has clearly taken its toll on everyone." She says gently and steps over to the island and rests her arms on the countertop, leaning forward. He nods.  
"It was quite the experience." He replies simply.  
"But there is something else?"  
"Nothing to raise any alarms about as yet."  
"I don't want to sound too optimistic." She sighs as the kettle shouts off and she turns to pour the water over the tea bags in the teapot. "I mean, really? Since when does evil truly rest?"  
"You're right my dear, but again I didn't come here with stories of the world ending. For a change that is." He grins and she catches the twinkle in his mossy green eyes.  
"You truly brought the mail." He nods and she rolls her eyes with a smile of her own and turns with the tray, placing it on the countertop before him and picks up a jar of tea biscuits, placing them on the counter between them.

No sooner has Buffy settled down in her dorm room, the first day of classes is sprung upon her. An overwhelming moment of insignificance washes over her as she manoeuvres through the sizable campus in search of instruction as to where to go to get her student ID card, or even just meet up with a familiar face. She finally meets up with Willow and the two make their way with ease, she notes that Willow appears to actually know where she's going and getting all the necessary things done with an effortless ease that Buffy used to have in high school. Whoa, what a switch, she muses as they meet up with Oz, a conversation that she doesn't really quite find herself involved in— much like her college experience thus far. She actually realises the significance of that whole adage of the big fish in the small pound becoming the big fish in an even bigger pound—perhaps having ventured out into the ocean.

Once Buffy manages to survive the first week at UC Sunnydale, she realises that things might actually not be as bad as they had begun. Meeting with Mackenzie for coffee in between classes, talking with Willow in between studying, and dealing with all things Slayer, she quickly adapts to her new situation.  
"Professor Wash is so amazing!" Willow gushes, with coffees in hand as they make their way through the scattering of rod iron tables with tiled patterns, some pushed together accommodating larger groups who consume their beverages and tasty deserts while discussing various topics of academia.  
"Yeah, that was quite the lecture," Mackenzie replies with a smile. "I'm so glad I could get into her class this year. Last year it was packed to the gills and she wouldn't allow me to enrol." She sets her latté on the table while they disarm themselves of their bags and sit in the cafe-style rod iron chairs.  
"I guess." Buffy sighs, her mind wandering to other thoughts— thoughts that include an awkward TA by the name of Riley Finn whom she enjoys crushing on to get through the day. Like most, it helps pass the time during the boring classes and tutorials.

"Have you been over to see Giles yet?" Willow inquires before gently blowing her coffee enough to cool it to take a tentative sip.  
"Not yet. I just needed to finish a few things. Thought I'd pop in after our coffee." She replies taking a sip of her iced mocha.  
"What's up?" Mackenzie asks as she places her latté back on the table.  
"Oh some trampy vamp is taunting me is all, but then this really sweet guy I met while walking to my dorm room after patrol just disappeared." She leans in towards her companions. "It doesn't look like he just dropped out either." Her voice low, Willow and Mackenzie nod their understanding. "Which is why I'm going to pay Giles a visit this afternoon." She says in her usual tone and sits back in her seat.  
"Sounds like a plan. I little recon couldn't hurt either." Mackenzie says and picks up her paper cup she raises it to her lips once more. "Need any help?"  
"Not just yet, but I'll let you know," Buffy replies and drains the last of the beverage before checking her watch.

"I better get going. He should be home." She says picking up her messenger bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll catch you guys later." She adds and takes the plastic cup to the garbage can, tosses it in and turns to glance once more at her friends.  
"Later," Mackenzie says as Willow simply waves. "She's okay right?" Mackenzie inquires.  
"I think so. I haven't seen her like this before." Willow sighs and they continue sipping their coffees and chatting about Professor Walsh's class and their other courses until Willow's next class.  
"I get the sense that Buffy isn't the studious type?" Mackenzie comments as she plays with the plastic lid of the tall paper cup in front of her. Willow isn't quite sure how to answer. "I mean, it isn't for everyone." She amends carefully.  
"I know what you mean. I have to say that prior to meeting Buffy; I would never have thought I'd actually befriend someone quite like her." Willow smiles and takes another sip of her coffee. "It's just she came from possibly being the most popular girl in school to hanging with Xander and me in the library with Giles."  
"When you say it like that, you make it sound like a bad thing. I think you guys compliment each other in a way that elevates each of you."  
"I think I get what you mean." She smiles.

"Don't you have class?"  
"Yup, I do. I'd rather hang with you though." Willow pouts at the prospect of her last class for the day. "Maybe, you'll catch Buffy at your place." She adds as they stand and collect their cups to cast away in the garbage. Willow threads her arms into the straps of her knapsack while Mackenzie hooks her book bag on her shoulder.  
"Are you coming for movie night this Friday?" she asks with a small smile, her fiery red hair dancing around her head in the gentle breeze.  
"Why don't we have it at my place this time?" Mackenzie suggests. "See what the others think and get back to me. I can accommodate you guys overnight if need be. No beer, or anything like that, but takeout and junk food could be arranged." She adds as they walk through the door.  
"I'll check it out with Xander tomorrow. We're meeting up for lunch, he's back from his trip and then we're Bronzing it with Buffy. So I'll give you a call."  
"Sounds good. Enjoy class." Mackenzie says as they exchange a quick hug and part ways.

The walk home is a wonderful way to put her mind at ease— although a translation is burning a preverbal hole in her bag. Earlier she had met up with Methos to pick up another translation, rather his corrections on her translation, of another text Giles had asked for assistance with. Entering the courtyard of the complex, she notices Buffy standing outside Giles' flat, arms crossed tightly across her chest, an expression of confusion on her face, and slumped shoulders.  
"Buffy, hey." She greets her friend.  
"You **so** **don't** want to disturb him right now." She says matter-of-factly. Mackenzie reaches out and places a hand on Buffy's shoulder.  
"What is it?" she finally gets Buffy to look her in the eye.  
"He's in there."  
"Yes?"  
"Just trust me, **you** don't want to disturb him right now. In fact, you probably should wait till he calls you." She appears hurt and confused.  
"Buffy, why don't you come over to my place and have a glass of water or something, calm down and then you can tell me what's the what." Mackenzie leads her to her flat.

Sitting in the living room, Buffy on the sofa, her feet tucked up underneath her while Mackenzie sits in the leather armchair, a cup of tea in her hands. Buffy bites into another cookie and sets the remainder down on a paper napkin.  
"So why are you so disturbed?" Mackenzie finally inquires, breaking the silence.  
"Well, besides the fact that a student just disappeared, Giles is." She pauses— knowing that if she tells her friend what she saw, it will break her heart. "Could I ask for your help with something?" she changes the subject figuring that if she couldn't have Giles on board, she could at least ask someone else who might be able to help her with her present predicament.  
"What's going on?" Mackenzie sits back and tucks her feet up underneath her as well.  
"There's more to the disappearing student situation." Buffy begins. "I seriously got my ass kicked by a vamp from the eighties!" she pouts and rests her head on the sofa back for a moment in thought.

"Why don't you come with me to the dojo to train? I know that Duncan isn't the same as having Giles train you, but at least you'll be able to keep up your physical training." She suggests with a smile. "It might be fun to train with someone different for a change of pace. I find that I can easily anticipate Duncan's offence before he even makes a move." They laugh together at the recognition for the need for change. "I can help you out with your vamp problem as well if you like. However, I think it might be nice to ask Xander." Buffy nods to indicate her understanding. "In not doing the college thing, I think he's feeling quite left out." She adds and un-tucks her feet from underneath, places them firmly on the floor and leans towards the coffee table, resting her elbows on her thighs.  
"You're right. The gang hasn't really been much of late. Things are so hectic—time seems to slip by so quickly. Mackenzie nods her agreement.

"Oh before I forget. I know that Will is going to talk to you about this, but we got talking about the upcoming movie night and I wondered if you guys would like to hold it here?" she suddenly feels uncertain for asking before Willow had the chance. "Willow invited me and I thought it would be easier to have it here. I can accommodate any overnighters as well."  
"You know what? That sounds like a really great idea." Buffy smiles brightly and her mood seems to also be improving, albeit slowly. "Well, I better be going. Thanks for this," she says as she stands and helps Mackenzie take their dishes to the kitchen and places them on the counter.  
"What are friends for?" she smiles and walks Buffy to the front door. "Let me know if movie night is a go for sure."  
"Of course." Buffy quickly hugs her. "Thanks."  
"No problem. Let me know what you need regarding your vamp problem and I'll see what I can do." Mackenzie watches as Buffy makes her way out of the complex before closing and locking the door.

Once the kitchen was spotless, Mackenzie picks up her mail from the small table in the foyer along with her knapsack, she heads upstairs to finish an essay that's due at the end of the following week. She works through the dinner hour before recognising the low growl of her empty stomach. Saving her work and tidying her workspace, she turns off the desk lamp and closes the door on school work. Entering the kitchen, she thinks about what she wants and grabs the needed ingredients to assemble something quick, easy, and delicious. Glancing at the clock, she realises that she may have missed the six o'clock news, but there is an all-day news channel that she flips to, to catch up on the days events while making and eating dinner. Once dinner is prepared, she sets herself at the kitchen table and enjoys her meal.

A loud bang on the door interrupts her meals a little over half-way through. She dabs her lips with the serviette before making her way to the front door. Checking the peephole first, she opens the door to a frantic Xander.  
"What's going o?" she inquires. He appears to be out of breath.  
"I need— I mean, Buffy needs your help."  
"What's happened?" Mackenzie pulls him into her flat and closes the door.  
"We need weapons. That bitch vamp took Buffy's stuff and is hiding it in an abandoned frat house just on campus." He takes a deep breath.  
"Um, Xander?"  
"Right, you won't have the weapons, but Giles will." He rolls his eyes at his mixed up reasoning.  
"It's okay, I have a sword at least." She says. "And a few anti-vamp things— crosses, some holy water, and stakes. I can help with those." She runs off and returns with a large black duffle bag. "Let's go!" she exclaims.  
"You go, meet Willow and Oz. I'm going to get Giles." He opens the door and runs across the quad.

Arriving at the scene, Mackenzie distributes the needed tools for them to assist Buffy, who suddenly was nowhere to be seen.  
"Where is Buffy?" Oz inquires, as they realise that she's nowhere to be seen. Some odd noises; however, are heard by the group outside. Xander finally arrives with more arsenal and they agree on their plan of attack. Bursting through the door will surprise the vamps, who would clearly not be expecting the Slayer to have backup. Cross held up, holy water in hand they are greeted with Buffy kicking some serious ass. Watching Buffy, they manage to hold off the other vamps. The whole ass-kicking takes a scant twenty minutes, witty banter and staking of vampires included.  
"That was some exercise." Buffy sighs. "Touch my stuff and get dead." She says under her breath as she begins to pack her stuff into boxes and they make their way back to the dorms.

"Buffy!" Giles surprises them most, running towards them carrying a crossbow in one hand and a cross in the other while cradling an axe.  
"Hi, Giles!" He hears her voice, but doesn't see her as her head is hidden behind a box filled with Buffy's stuff.  
"What's with the arsenal?" Xander inquires coolly.  
"I've been awake all night. I know I'm supposed to teach you self-reliance, but I can't leave you out there to fight alone. To hell with what's right, I'm ready to back you up. Let's find the evil a-and fight it together." He says slightly out of breath.  
"Great! Thanks! We'll get right on that." She says as they quasi-swarm him on their way towards her dorm.  
"The evil is this way?" he inquires as he follows.  
"My room is," Buffy says in a satisfied tone leading the way towards her dorm.  
"Hey Giles, could you get this box on top?" Willow asks and he quickly helps her with the box.  
"So college— not so scary after all, huh?" Xander states matter-of-factly as they walk.  
"It's turning out to be a lot like high school, which I can handle. At least I know what to expect." She replies as they continue their way across the campus.

Arriving at her dorm room, the gang quickly help Buffy unpack her boxed belongings and hang out for a little while. Mackenzie can't believe that a vampire would have such guts to try and taunt a Slayer the way Sunday did, and actually, think that they would get away with it.

"Thanks again you guys," Buffy says with a smile and a bit of a yawn. They return her smile, Willow and Xander sandwiching her between them while Oz, Mackenzie and Giles wait for their turn with her.  
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Mackenzie inquires quietly and Buffy nods as they break their embrace.  
"Are you okay getting home Kenzie?" Xander inquires in a gentlemanly manner. Buffy almost giggles as she recognises Giles' influence on her friend.  
"I'll be sure that she gets home safely," Giles states as he checks over Buffy's injuries. "Besides, it's out of your way." He adds, once satisfied that Buffy is all right.  
"But thank you for asking," Mackenzie says as he hugs her goodnight. "See you Friday night." She adds.  
"Wouldn't miss it." He smiles as he exits the crowded room into the hallway punctuated with small clusters of students talking, walking to their own rooms or common room, or coming in or going out for the evening.  
"We ought to head out as well." Giles gently cups Mackenzie's elbow with his hand and leads her from the room, leaving Buffy with Willow and Oz.

The night air is pleasantly crisp and Mackenzie enjoys the way it feels against her skin as they walk to the condo complex from the university in a comfortable silence— Giles making sure to walk on the side towards the road.  
"So, that was quite an eventful evening." She says as if waiting to be far enough from the university to begin a conversation.  
"It was. I'm glad that Buffy was able to handle the situation as well as she did." He replies.  
"Was that a test?" Mackenzie slows to a stop and Giles follows her lead.  
"In a way it was. While I will always be here for her as her Watcher, I want to make sure that, if for any reason I am unavailable to her, she is equipped to handle herself." She nods her understanding and they resume their walk home.

"You know what?" Mackenzie says, once again breaking the silence between them.  
"What?" Giles inquires as he removes his glasses and quickly cleans them.  
"I'm feeling like an ice cream cone." She states as he returns his glasses to their perch on his nose and the handkerchief to his pocket.  
"Really?" he cocks a brow and waits for her answer.  
"Yup, something cold would really hit the spot right now." She smiles and without thought reaches out for his hand and pulls him towards the ice cream parlour. "You can tell a lot about someone by the type of ice cream they choose." She adds with a wicked smile and a wink.  
"Oh really?" he plays along as they enter and join the line.  
"Yes, you know? Some of the more conservative, or safe flavours would, of course, be vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate."  
"And those flavours would be for whom? Someone like me?"  
"Not necessarily." She pauses. "I have a sneaking suspicion that you enjoy something a little more adventurous." She tilts her head to the side in thought.

"What can I get you two?" the teenage male behind the counter inquires with a flirtatious smile directed at Mackenzie. She wonders if Giles is jealous, but doesn't have the chance to glance at him.  
"For me? A sugar cone of chocolate mint and strawberry cheesecake." She takes in his expression. "I've never tried the combo before, you never know." She nudges Giles playfully.  
"Well, a sugar cone sounds like a good idea. A scoop of super-duper chocolate fudge and I think the raspberry banana swirl would go nicely with it." He smiles at his over the top selection. Mackenzie's smile is contagious and he grins as the teen hands him their cones. She quickly pulls the needed money from her wallet and hands him the bills.  
"Your change." He says with an astounded expression on his face. She merely takes a handful of napkins and her cone from Giles before they exit the parlour.

"Thank you, Kenzie," Giles says politely and she's glad for his absence of protest that she paid for their treat. "Next time it's on me though." He adds as they head towards the nearby park. Normally, the people of Sunnydale stay away from dark alleys, cemeteries, and parks at night— Giles and Mackenzie; however, feel safe in each other's company. They sit on a bench facing a pound and lick their ice cream in comfortable silence.  
"So how is yours?" she inquires after quickly dabbing her lips with a napkin and handing one to him.  
"A combination that I would have again." He replies.  
"Oh really?" she cocks a brow with questioning eyes.  
"Would you care to try some?" he holds the cone out towards her. "You're not germ conscious now are you?"  
"Nope." She replies and tries a lick of his ice cream. "That is a good combination." She smiles her approval. "Chocolate mint and strawberry cheesecake?" she returns the gesture. He nods and tries her oddly good combination.  
"That's pretty good too." He sits back, crossing his left ankle over his right knee.

They finish their ice creams before getting up to walk the rest of the way home.  
"I suppose you wouldn't have gotten ice cream if you were with Xander." He cannot help but ask.  
"I doubt it." She replies honestly. She doesn't see his expression from her spot at his side. "I would probably want to get home as quickly as possible." She confesses.  
"Oh, I see." He replies as they enter the courtyard.

"I can take it from here." She smiles as they pause at the fountain. "Thanks for walking me home." She adds, and before she even thinks about it, she wraps her arms around him in a quick hug. "Good night Giles." She adds. Neither immediately let the other go, but eventually, their comfortable moment is broken by protocol and they slowly allow their arms to release the other.  
"Goodnight Kenzie." He smiles with a curt nod.

He watches her as she makes her way to her condo, making sure that she gets in safely before walking the short distance to his own. As he removes his jacket, he catches another whiff of the intoxicating scent of her perfume and pauses before hanging it on its hook in the entryway. Then removes his shoes before returning to the research he had been working on before Xander arrived for the help he hadn't had to provide Buffy and her friends with after all— although he did have the opportunity to spend some time alone with Mackenzie.  
"Rupert?" a female voice calls from about halfway down the narrow staircase.  
"Oh! Olivia. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he lifts his head as she takes the last step and makes her way towards him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she runs her slender fingers through the hair on the back of his head and massages his neck gently. Leaning down to press her lips against his cheek, she notices the perfume, but says nothing about it— their relationship was never a relationship in the traditional sense. She would fly into Sunnydale, like a whirlwind, meet up with him and leave him— until the next time she had business in LA.

"Will you be coming to bed?" she whispers sexily into his ear, the heat from her breath caressing his ear and sends a shiver down his spine, it wasn't the same as before.  
"Not right now, dear. I just want to finish this up first." He replies.  
"You said that last night and you never came to bed." She pouts and places her hands on his shoulders, trying to convince him to abandon his research. "I found you hunched over your desk this morning. All sexy and dishevelled." She adds and places a kiss on his ear, then open kisses down his strong jaw towards the base of his neck.  
"Olivia." While he can feel himself slowly respond to her kisses and ministrations he only sighs and breaks her spell. "I really must get this done. I am on a deadline." He fibs, with the hope she will make her way back up to the bedroom and be asleep before he makes his way up.  
"I'll wait up." She wraps her arms around his back and kisses him once more before retreating upstairs to the bedroom. Don't, he cannot help but think, as he thumbs through the open volume.


	6. Chapter 6

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-GB"Please find all disclaimers in the first chapter./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-GB"Mackenzie sighs as the sunlight seeps into her room through the soft film of the sheers, but oddly enough cannot hear her own sigh. She clears her throat, assuming that its' sore from talking too much the previous day. She is interrupted from trying her voice out with the ringing of the cell phone. She knows that she said 'hello', but no sound comes from her lips. Oh my God! She thinks and quickly gets dressed. Realising that texting would be a better form of communication, she texts the group and they reply that they too are unable to verbally communicate and that will be assembling in one of the lecture halls. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-GB"Buffy Summers: Kenzie, please don't go to Giles'.br /spanMackenzie Lamont: Why?br /Buffy Summers: I can't say. Just do me a favour and don't go to Giles'. I think it's better if you go to Joe's bookstore and see if he has some kind of rare volume on sudden collective /Mackenzie Lamont: On it. We'll talk /Buffy Summers: Thanks a ton, and yes, we'll talk later./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"An eerie horror movie feeling creeps into her bones as she walks through the streets towards the bookstore. Opening the door, she looks around and finds her uncle behind the counter reading through what she can only assume to be Watcher journals. She taps the countertop, as the overhead bell hadn't brought him from his reading. He lifts his head and his eyes light up. Standing, he makes his way around the counter and wraps her in a huge bear hug. She returns the embrace and fins the little notebook she had brought along with her. br /'I'm looking for a rare book on sudden collective muteness'. She signs and smiles when he nods his head that he can understand American Sign. Thank God, she thinks as he scoots around the counter and retrieves a few books. br /'I think these would be more help'. He signs and she opens one to the page that he had tucked a yellow piece of paper into. The /'The Gentlemen?'br /'Methos has heard of their existence, but had never seen them before.' He signs quickly. 'Take those to Giles. They may help.' He adds with a warm /'I'll bring them back once we're finished with them.' She signs /'Good luck.' He reaches across the counter and places a comforting hand over hers and she looks into his eyes. In that moment, she essentially conveys to him that they will get to the bottom of it./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Buffy Summers: Kenzie, meet us as UC Sunnydale. The psych lecture /Mackenzie Lamont: Got some books that Joe thinks will help. I'm on my way. She replies as she quickly makes her way out of the shop and heads towards campus. Entering the large space, she finds Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Anya sitting in a cluster in the front while Giles stands in the position of lecturer. She quickly makes her way towards him and sets the books on the desk before he makes his way towards her. br /'Do you sign?' she signs and mouths for him. He shakes his head 'no' before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. He goes to the table and opens the book to the marked page and quickly skims through the contents— clearly, this text has a little more information for them to add to what they already have and he sees the answer to their puzzle, but does not make the addition to his presentation./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-GB" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-GB"Setting himself up to begin his presentation, Giles cracks his fingers— that appears to get their attention and he presses the play button on the small portable CD player he brought along for the presentation. He places the first transparency upon the projector and Buffy and Willow point out that its upside down, while Anya, who is eating popcorn motions for him to simply flip it. Giles quickly remedies the issue and begins his presentation. The first slide asks; who are the Gentlemen? He whisks the slide off and replaces it with the next. They are fairy tale monsters— it says and has a crude drawing of what they actually look like. The next slide asks; what do they want? Giles demonstrates by holding up his finger and understanding, Willow points to her chest. Xander, your average male mouths 'boobies?' while Giles just gives him one of his best 'really Xander?' stares. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Changing the transparency, showing hearts which Giles gestures towards and Xander finally gets. Anya merely raises her eyebrows and continues to merrily eat her popcorn. While changing the slides the rest of the presentation unfolds. The Gentlemen arrive at a town, steal all the voices of the inhabitants so that no one can scream than essentially removes their victim's heart. Willow and Buffy turned to each other and exchange severely disturbed glances. The next series of slides follow. They need seven, they have at least two. Wanting attention, Xander frantically snaps his fingers. 'How do we kill them?' he holds up his board. Buffy's response is taking her fist and pumping it towards herself. Xander's expression is of one of confusion and she grabs her stake from her messenger bag and repeats the gesture. Xander appears to get it and Giles looks relieved as Willow pretends that everything is 'normal'. /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Popping the next slide onto the projector, it reads; in this tale no sword can kill them, a slide with a Gentleman with three swords sticking out of its body at odd angles. There goes my plan, Mackenzie thinks to herself. The next in the series had a picture of a princess with two Gentlemen lying dead at her feet and read, but the princess screamed once... and they all died. Willow holds up a CD and then holds her hands over her ears to dramatically illustrate dying— she smiles proudly thinking she has the solution. Giles holds up a finger to stop her and pauses the presentation for dramatic effect— only a real human voice. Giles points to his throat. Silently sighing, Willow throws her hands up with a pout. Buffy is frantically writing on her whiteboard. 'How do I get my voice back?' Giles doesn't share the information Mackenzie has brought forward, he has run out of slides. He intends to tell her later./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"The next slide is up; Buffy will patrol tonight. The picture is of a girl with a bow and arrow. Buffy's expression is priceless as she holds out her hands to illustrate that the girl in the picture is too fat. In response, Giles makes some quick gestures and then points to the rest and holds up one of the books Mackenzie has brought to indicate further research— as he wants to verify the validity of the sources she has brought to him before discussing further details with Buffy and the rest of the gang. Everyone simultaneously gets up and Buffy stares at the final transparency of two Gentlemen, almost as if studying the figures and committing them to memory. As they file out of the room, Giles grabs Buffy's attention and has her stay behind. He shows her the book Mackenzie had contributed that held what he thought the potential key to her getting her voice back. She nods her comprehension and reaches up to squeeze his shoulder in a gesture of comfort and to reinforce that she will be fine. He returns the gesture and she helps him collect his material before walking him to meet the others. 'Patrol', she mouths and is on her way. /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span lang="EN-GB"Here, Gentlemen, she taunts them in her mind, where are you? She wonders if her line of thinking is correct and begins to allow her feet to lead her towards an older part of campus. She doesn't see Riley, her current boyfriend, and his Initiative, Professor Maggie Walsh's secret government covert operative, buddies— dressed head-to-toe in camouflage pants and black tight sweaters carrying what must be fully automatic weapons. But she does see two very odd looking, fresh out of the asylum beings swinging their arms madly while making their way to the clock tower. Curious characters, she thinks as she cautiously follows them into the old building unsure of what lies ahead. Buffy is unprepared to find the Initiative trying to kill these beings with guns, but then again that's always appeared to be their way, kill it first, keep one to question later. She watches as one of the things in white grabs a barrel and Riley kicks it and watches it fall. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Unnoticed another knocks Buffy from behind and she falls in front of one lying unmoving. Trying to do some quick math in her head, Buffy realises that it doesn't actually matter how many of them there are; she has to find the box, so she makes a dash for the stairs. At the top of the stairs, she assesses her surroundings quickly and immediately notices that there are only two empty jars. It is then that she is kicked down from behind and three lackeys grab hold of her as three Gentlemen, who appear to hover over the floor rather than walk, glide towards her— one holding out a scalpel, which gets a little too close for her comfort and a blast of electricity violently throws back the Gentleman. Riley quickly shoots a nearby lackey and now Buffy is only held by two. She quickly turns the tables with a flip, she hits one away. With Riley's weapon suddenly out of charge, she is tackled once again by the lackeys. Working together, Buffy and Riley manage to hold them off momentarily, until Buffy is stabbed by one of the Gentlemen with the scalpel and finds herself weakened a bit. /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Buffy's gaze falls on the box she saw in her dream and the one Giles had shown her earlier, sitting on the table alongside the jars of hearts. Her mind flashes back to a little girl holding the box. Buffy frantically waves her hands to nab Riley's attention and he quickly smashes a blue vial that sits next to the box. Looking to her for approval, she rolls her eyes and mimes opening— understanding this, Riley mouths 'oh', and promptly smashes the box. An odd-looking mist slowly emerges from the box in swirls and the lackey holding Buffy suddenly throws her down. Two streams of mist pull themselves from the main and split once more, returning to Buffy and Riley. Not wanting to waste any more time, Buffy screams at the top of her lungs and the Gentlemen's heads explode with gooey parts of grey matter and chunks of skull landing on various places about the room. Buffy and Riley look at each other realising that their silent film ordeal has finally ended./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Giles and Olivia are happy when the two streams of mist enter his flat and find their way back to their rightful owners. He sits himself on the comfortable hunter green sofa and Olivia follows suit draping herself over him, her head resting on the sound of his steady heartbeat. Their moment of silence is broken as Giles voices the thoughts in his /"So would you say this was, uh, your best visit ever?" he inquires with a slight humour in his tone. Her eyes are fixed on the window while she formulates her response. br /"All the time you used to talk to me about witchcraft and darkness, and the like. I just thought you were being pretentious." She smiles and he can feel the change in her facial expression on his /"Oh, I was. I was also right."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;""So everything you told me was true." She lifts her head to gaze up at /"Well no, um, I wasn't actually one of the original members of Pink Floyd, but the monster stuff, yes." He replies matter-of-factly. She resets her head down and finds herself looking out the window /"Scary." She says almost under her /"Too scary?" he /"I don't know." Her reply is simple, yet at the same time very telling in the direction their relationship would strongnot/strong be going. Funnily enough though, he finds himself okay with that./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Meanwhile in a dorm room not too far away, Buffy sits on her bed deep in thought. She has had quite the experience with Riley and she is uncertain as to the direction of their relationship, or even if they really have a relationship. The conversation would be inevitable, she knew— but. A gentle knock interrupts her intense thoughts and Riley enters /"Hi." He says as he closes the door behind him. She would normally smile at the sight of him with their poster of Chocolate definitions pinned to their door providing a yummy backdrop for the yummy /"Hi." She replies /"Well, I guess we have to talk." He sits himself on Willow's bed as Buffy scoots herself to the edge of her bed, slowly letting her lean legs dangle until her toes than feet come to rest on the /"I guess we do." She replies simply as they sit silently, facing each other, mirroring the others posture of shoulders slumped and hands folded in their respective lap- Buffy twisting her fingers together nervously. /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"Mackenzie sits up in her living room and reads her notes in preparation for a test she has to write the following afternoon. Somehow she finds herself far too distracted to study, instead, she makes her way to the foyer. Putting on her shoes, she grabs a light jacket and her keys and heads out to her uncle Joe's flat. She gently knocks on the door and waits for him to answer. br /"Kenzie, hey." He says and moves aside granting her access. "I see the gang was successful." His smile is comforting. She removes her shoes and jacket and smiles /"Thankfully. Put another check in the good guy's column. The books you so graciously lent me helped us tremendously. I'll pick them up from Giles tomorrow after classes." She follows him into the living room. His flat is set up in a similar manner to Giles' in that there is a small gully kitchen, a fair sized living room, a narrow staircase leading up to the bedroom and full /"You want to talk about it?" he goes into the kitchen and she sits at the breakfast bar. br /"Funnily enough, no." she makes a funny face realising how odd that just sounded, even to herself, "I just found that I didn't want to be alone." She accepts his offer of desert— a piece of freshly baked apple crisp, a speciality that he usually makes around the holidays./p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"They end up with coffee, an enormously idiotic amount of whipped cream and way too much apple crisp that anyone could manage and talk about anything but the Gentlemen. She finally sighs and looks at her watch. br /"I guess I should head home. Under the circumstances, maybe the professor will push the test until next week." She crosses her fingers for emphasis. br /"Is it a language test?" he asks as they clean up the mess and she nods her reply. "So you know your stuff. What are you so worried about?" he inquires with a gentle smile. One that she has always loved, the type of smile that is genuine— right down to the crinkle at the corner of his eyes. And tonight, he held that special spark. br /"Thanks, Uncle Joe." She says as they finish drying the last of the dishes. "I'll swing by the store sometime tomorrow, either to return the books or to study." They walk to the front door and she slips on her shoes and jacket. /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;"Returning home, Mackenzie quickly slips the key into the lock and opens the door. Closing it tightly behind her, she checks that it is indeed locked tightly and drops her keys in the basket on the hall table, lets the jacket slide down her arms she hangs it on the hook, and removes her shoes. She gathers her school things from the coffee table, setting them on one side to be taken upstairs with her. She picks up her forgotten mug and makes her way to the kitchen. Opening the dishwasher, she places it within before closing the door. It is in that moment that she realises how much safer she feels having Giles across the courtyard, her uncle a few doors down and Duncan only a phone call away. She quickly picks up the notes and turns out the lights as she heads upstairs. Stopping in the office, she places the notes on the desk so she won't forget them with the next day's books and laptop. Strange how inviting her bed appears as she prepares for a restful sleep. Emerging from the bathroom in her pyjamas, she flips out the lights and walks to her bed in darkness. Settling herself under the covers, she closes her eye and thinks about the upcoming holidays— making a mental list of baking, decorating, and gift buying. /p 


	7. Chapter 7

General standard disclaimer information can be located in the first chapter.  
Please note that dialogue from Primeval is from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Transcripts (site)

With midterms and half course finals under their belts, Buffy, Willow, Anya, Tara, and Mackenzie make their way through the mall in search of the perfect gift ideas. Mackenzie really enjoyed getting to know the girls and what better way for female bonding then shopping. She managed to pick up a few things for her parents, her brother Jason, Duncan, Methos, and her Uncle Joe.  
"Hey Kenzie, what do you think of this for Giles?" Buffy inquires holding out a leather-bound blank volume.  
"Doesn't he have a lifetime supply of Watcher's journals?" she jokes and Buffy smiles at the response.  
"You're the only one I'd let get away with that." She sighs in defeat. "What am I supposed to get him?"  
"A sexy pair of Christmas boxers," Anya interjects as she happily pulls several types from the display table.  
"This is **Giles** we're talking about, **not** my boyfriend Anya! Unlike you, I presently don't have one." She never liked the reminder, but what else could she do? Her talk with Riley ended in her letting him go.

They leave the store and walk down the bustling hall towards a bookstore. Perusing the shelves, true crime, self-help, cooking and baking— she decides against getting Giles a book.  
"What about a book?" Mackenzie suggests. "It says, 'hey I listen when you make references to old stuff', but not too much, you know?" she adds holding out a volume towards Buffy.  
"That could work," Buffy replies and thinks about the suggestion. "But I'll have to hit your uncle's store for something like that." She adds as she places the book back on the shelf and they make their way out of the store. A rumble has them turning to look at Willow.  
"What? I'm sorry, tummy says, 'where's the food'". She smiles sheepishly and they all glance at their watches.  
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Anya agrees and Tara nods as well.  
"Why don't we try that new place?" Tara suggests and they make their way towards the directory to find the new restaurant.

They are seated at a comfortable booth tucked within a garden setting. They sit with their menus open, lowering them every so often to discuss what they're thinking of ordering.  
"This looks good," Anya says, showing Mackenzie a picture of glazed chicken on a bed of noodles and stir-fried vegetables. She nods and points to another photo of Sheppard's Pie.  
"This is American style though." Tara reminds her and they laugh at the thought.  
"That's true, I can always make that and freeze the rest for later." She laughs, "Oh, I think I'll try this." She rests her finger on dessert— a caramel apple cheesecake.  
"That looks amazing!" Buffy exclaims. "You have to have something more substantial for lunch than that."  
"Yes, mom," Mackenzie replies and thinks for a moment.  
"I think I'll have the Chicken Shish Kabob with Greek salad and if I'm still hungry I'll share dessert with someone." They nod in agreement.

"Good afternoon ladies. My name is James, I'll be your waiter." The waiter says cheerfully. "May I bring you something to drink?"  
"A diet iced tea," Buffy says with a bright smile.  
"A Diet Coke for her." Willow gestures towards Tara, "and one for me as well please." He jots the orders thus far.  
"I'll have a Diet Sprit with lemon." Anya smiles up at him.  
"Just water with lemon for me please." Mackenzie looks up at him for a moment and he nods.  
"I'll be back for your orders." He smiles and turns to get their drinks.  
"Ooh, this looks really good," Buffy says as she Shows Anya the description. "It's a noodle bowl with sweet and sour chicken and shrimp."  
"That does look good," Willow says.  
"I think I'll have the Monte Crisco," Tara adds and they all read the description and agree.

"Your drinks ladies." He says upon his return and begins to set their drinks in front of them. They pick up their glasses and hold them up.  
"Bon appetite." They say as they clink their glasses and sip their beverages.  
"Are you ready to order?"  
"Yes, I'll have the Sweet and sour chicken shrimp noodle bowl," Buffy says and closes her menu.  
"The Chicken shish kabob with a Greek side salad." Mackenzie also closes her menu.  
"Glazed chicken please." Anya closes and sets her menu on top of the others.  
"The Monte Crisco." Tara smiles and Willow set their menus aside.  
"Also, do you think we could have a plate of French fries and sweet potato fries?" Mackenzie inquires. We're all having salads with our entrees. I think a little fun is in order." She looks at her dining companions.  
"Of course." He replies and collects their menus before retreating to the kitchen.

They enjoy their non-demon, no male time together— talking classes, crushes, and other things that are 'normal' conversation for Sunnydale's civilian population. Once they finish lunch, they set themselves back on their mission and finish as much of their Christmas shopping as they can in each other's company before heading towards Mackenzie's SUV and load their packages into the rear, carefully closing the door so as not to squish their purchases.  
"Why don't we wrap gifts at my place?" Mackenzie suggests. "That way most of it's done and should we bump into the guys, we don't have to worry about their snooping."  
"That sounds like a plan." Anya agrees, knowing how Xander is around gifts— not that she's any better. She pulls into her spot and they remove their bags.  
"I'm just going to head over to your uncle's bookstore and see if I can find what I'm looking for there," Buffy says as she drops her bags on the coffee table.  
"You want a lift?"  
"Nah, I won't be that long." She adds and makes her way back to the foyer to put her shoes and jacket on. "See you guys in a bit." She says over her shoulder and closes the door behind her.

Christmas music plays loudly and the only sounds, besides their obvious chatter about the holiday, is the rustle of colourful wrapping paper with cartoon reindeer, Santa Clauses, penguins, and bears being cut to size; satin tape being pulled from the plastic dispensers and put to work holding the package contents closed; and ribbon being pulled from various spools, tied around packages, and scissors curling them into decorative finishing touches.  
"They had better appreciate all this work," Anya states, matter-of-factly as she examines her handiwork.  
"I'm sure they will," Mackenzie says gently and gets up to go to the kitchen. "You guys want anything?" she inquires. "Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate?"  
"Popcorn!" Anya replies happily.  
"Hot chocolate!" Tara and Willow reply in unison.  
"Anya, do you want something to drink too?" she asks while putting the popcorn in the microwave and setting up the mugs of milk to go in next, she pulls the powdered chocolate from the cupboard.

Returning with a tray, she sets it on a spot Willow clears off the coffee table.  
"We should do stuff like this more often," Anya says, her ruby lips turn up in a bright smile as she reaches out towards the bowl of popcorn. The thump at the door brings Mackenzie from the bustle in the living room. Expecting to find Buffy, she is surprised that it's Giles.  
"Is Buffy here?"  
"Giles, I don't mean to be rude. I mean. I'd invite you in, but we're kind of having an impromptu gift wrapping party." She shoves her feet into a pair of shoes and steps outside to talk to him. "Is everything all right?" she inquires, before catching herself. "Of course not, or you wouldn't be here." She mentally kicks herself for her stupidity. Why suddenly was he getting to her more than before?  
"We do have a problem." He coughs lightly.  
"Does it have something to do with the pesky Initiative?" he nods. "I see. I'll send her over as soon as she gets back."  
"Thank you." He reaches out and places a reassuring hand upon her shoulder and she smiles up at him with a nod. He then turns and makes his way across the courtyard to his flat, and she watches his back as he walks.

"What did Mr. Giles want?" Tara inquires as Mackenzie re-enters the living room.

"Just needs to speak to Buffy. Something to do with the Initiative." She adds with a sigh before reclaiming her place beside the table and the mountain of waste paper, tape, and ribbons. She smiles, trying not to upset their non-demon, non-Slaying time. When Buffy returns; however, Mackenzie stands and goes to meet her in the foyer.  
"Giles came by looking for you."  
"Why doesn't he just call me?" she rolls her eyes.  
"I don't know. He's expecting you. Something to do with your ex's stupid macho Initiative."  
"Great. I don't even get to have any fun with you guys." She pouts and decides that it's best to bite that bullet. "I'll catch you later?" placing her bag down beside the hall table she heads back out, crossing the courtyard to Giles' flat.

The group knew that Buffy felt left out of their fun, so they agree to stop their wrapping make something for dinner.  
"What have you got?" Anya inquires as they move to the kitchen.  
"Let's see." Mackenzie pauses and opens the fridge. "We could make chicken linguini with some sort of salad— either Caser or garden, depending on whether or not you want bacon bits for the pasta or the salad or both." She smiles as she pulls the chicken breasts from the fridge along with the rest of the ingredients. "Or we could go simpler and have a throw-down stir-fry instead over pasta or rice."  
"I like the throw-down stir-fry idea." Willow smiles, "we can do pasta and rice." She adds.  
"Everyone agree?" Mackenzie says from her spot in front of the fridge.  
"Agree to what?" Buffy inquires from the door as she removes her shoes and jacket, hanging it on a peg beside the door.  
"Oh, we're talking a chicken throw-down stir-fry." Tara fills her in.  
"Sounds yummy. What can I do to help?" she inquires as she makes her way to the kitchen.

"Buffy can you even boil water?" Anya asks bluntly.  
"Hey! That was a one-time thing." She pouts and helps Mackenzie pulls veggies from the crisper. "I'll handle cutting and marinating the chicken." She adds and gets started. Tara and Willow take pasta and rice duty, while Anya helps Mackenzie chop various vegetables.  
"This is going to taste so good," Willow says waiting for the pots of water to boil.  
"I'll set the table," Tara adds and finds the needed plates, glasses, and cutlery.  
"Patrol tonight?" Mackenzie asks making general conversation.  
"Yes, as per the norm, but not until I've had my fun." She winks and carefully rinses the chicken under the cold water in the sink and uses a paper towel to quickly dry the pieces before placing them into the awaiting bowl.  
"Everything is okay right?"  
"Of course." She replies as she measures various ingredients for the marinade.  
"Don't worry, girls night in isn't going to get ruined." She places plastic wrap over the chicken and sets it aside.

Buffy washes her hands with antibacterial soap and cleans the cutting board and knife, then places them in the dishwasher before turning back to the sink and disinfecting it with bleach.  
"Don't want anyone getting sick because of the chicken." She puts the dishcloth back in its place, washes her hands once more and turns to help Mackenzie with the vegetables while Tara and Willow place the pasta in one pot of boiling water and rice in the other. Anya raids Mackenzie's wine selection for something suitable for their meal.  
"Find anything to your liking?" Mackenzie inquires, from behind and Anya pulls a bottle.  
"I'm pretty sure this one will work just fine." She places the bottle on the table and returns to the living room to turn the music back on— sometime during their cooking fest, the music had stopped.  
"Thanks, Anya!" Willow calls as she strains the pasta. Tara turns down the rice to allow it to absorb whatever water is left and fluff up. Mackenzie then gets her wok and heats it for the chicken and vegetables.

Once they have finished creating their meal, they sit at the table, the food transferred to a large platter, the rice in a French white Corning Ware dish with a clear glass lid and the pasta in another. Anya pours the wine, while Willow hands one dish with rice one way and Tara hands the pasta the other way around the table so they can have whichever they prefer. Then they follow it with the stir-fry. Once everyone has their meal set the way they like it, they raise their glasses and declare a wonderful meal with the gentle clink of their glasses.  
"Excuse me for a moment." Mackenzie smiles as she rises and heads towards the kitchen. Picking up the bag on the counter, she slips her feet into a pair of flip-flops and puts her jacket on. She makes her way across the courtyard, knocks on his door and waits.

"Mackenzie. Hi." Giles greets her with a wide smile.  
"I won't keep you long. I just thought that I'd bring you something over to eat. We've had a wonderful girls' gift buying day and have just made a mountain of food. I thought… Well, I thought perhaps you would like an evening off from preparing your own meal."  
"Thank you. That's very thoughtful of you." He replies and receives the bag she holds out towards him.  
"I'll see you around, I better get back before my meals cold." She turns to leave. "Bon appetite."  
"Merci beaucoup." He chuckles and watches her head back to her flat before closing the door and heading to his kitchen to see what the girls have whipped up. She re-enters her home and removes her jacket and flip-flops and quickly takes her seat and digs into her dinner.

Once the dishes have been loaded into the dishwasher, the girls return to their wrapping with hot chocolate and other goodies. Buffy really enjoys this friend bonding time and realises how much she had missed out when she was with Riley and hanging out with the Initiative.  
"So Buffy, find what you were looking for Giles' gift?" Mackenzie asks as she finishes putting the final touches on Xander's gift. She writes out a tag and slips it into place, securing it with a piece of satin tape.  
"Oh yes, I found something that I think he will enjoy." She replies and pulls the bag out from under the coffee table. She holds it out for Mackenzie to see. She opens the bag and gently removes the volume. Smiling her approval, she hands the volume back and Buffy carefully selects wrapping paper.  
"That's quite the book."  
"Since you were able to procure a few books that helped us already, I thought Giles might need this one. When we blew up the library, he lost a significant chunk of his personal collection." She explains.  
"I'm sure he'll appreciate your sentiment." She returns to her wrapping while Buffy cuts the proper amount of paper and begins to carefully wrap the book.

Glancing at the time, Buffy places her wrapped gifts in plastic bags and places them beside the tree.  
"I'll come by and pick them up tomorrow after classes. If that's okay with you Kenzie, I don't want to wake you after patrol."  
"I thought I'd take the girls home, why don't I leave them with Willow?"  
"That works too. Making sure they're safe is a priority." Buffy says as she puts her shoes on, slips her jacket on, buttons it up.  
"Have a safe patrol," Anya says as she places another clump of paper into the plastic green garbage bag as Buffy slips out the door and closes it behind her.

Buffy finds that it's another chilly night as she moves from one cemetery to another and through the vacant parks. It's not an active evening either, which with the lack of combat causes the chill to really sink into her bones. She sighs as she mentally taunts the newbie vamps rising for the first time— yet for some reason, not many have been turned, so she heads towards the lesser travelled back alleys in Sunnydale's main drag that houses the Bronze, the movie theatre, and other shops, restaurants, and businesses. If they aren't in the cemeteries, the 'older' vamps tend to hang in more populated areas where they can easily pluck a snack from a group. Once again, she is confronted with nothing—no vamp activity and no demon activity either. Weird, she muses to herself as she turns a corner and nearly bumps right into Riley's chest.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She explains before making eye contact with her TA.  
"Buffy?"  
"Riley." She remains glued in place.  
"What are you doing out so late on your own?" he inquires with his gentle smile and she finds it difficult to concentrate while watching his lips move.  
"Just patrolling." She replies trying to regain her composure. It hadn't been that long since their breakup and she still felt that odd tug in her chest whenever he was around her— class was difficult enough, she really didn't need to see him outside of the world of academia as well. "I better get moving, Giles keeps tabs on me for safety." She stammers and turns on a heel before he has the chance to say anymore. The wound was still far too fresh and she really didn't need any more salt dumped into it.

The following days are filled with papers, assignments, tests and midterms. Mackenzie manages to keep her stress-level down by training when she wasn't studying at Joe's bookstore, or at Giles' helping with research— which, of course, hadn't gone completely unnoticed by Duncan, Joe, and Methos. Like clockwork, Methos enters the dojo with a cup of coffee and casually leans against the door until the last swig before tossing the paper cup into the receptacle as the crosses the threshold. Then the teasing begins.  
"Hey Mac, Kenzie." He nods towards them and takes a seat on one of the benches.  
"So Kenzie, when you going public?" he says with a huge smile.  
"Are you here to train or talk to Duncan?" her retort is laced with ice.  
"Razz you, of course!" He presses his back against the wall and stretches his long jean-clad legs out before him.  
"I'm here to train right now. Perhaps if you want any actual news, you can wait a quarter to forever."  
"Look, I'm not the only one who's noticed how much time you're **not** spending at home."  
"How?" she asks as she just manages to avoid Duncan's attack. Getting her thoughts back together, she resumes her defensive stance and, like a chess match awaits his next move.

"Kenzie, your shoulder is slumped," Duncan instructs and she corrects her form. "Better." He continues to attack and has her practice her defence. She ducks his next assault and counters with a few well-placed punches and a final round-house kick. He smiles as he sees the determination return to her eyes. Methos' interruption wasn't such a bad thing after all. When their sparring match is finished, Mackenzie bows in respect and makes her way to her gym bag to grab a towel and take a much-needed gulp of water.

"Buffy and Giles should be here shortly to train." Duncan suddenly says and Mackenzie wonders why he would be telling her this news.  
"Oh?" she looks at him.  
"I realised that there really isn't sufficient space for them to train at his flat. And I highly doubt that UC Sunnydale would appreciate that kind of training on campus." He adds as he makes his way across the room to his water bottle and takes a quick swig before replaces the cap before setting it back down.  
"Well I guess I should be going then." She says looking at the clock.  
"Don't you want to be here when he arrives?" Methos asks while fluttering his eyelashes teasing her once more.  
"Want to spare?" she challenges him.  
"I didn't bring my workout clothes." He holds up his hands and she rolls her eyes.  
"A likely story— I'll see you for our Saturday morning run?" she directs her question towards Duncan. He nods and she puts a US Sunnydale sweatshirt over her soaked tank top and slings her bag over her shoulder.  
"We'll talk later." Duncan smiles and she nods before turning on her heel and making her way out of the dojo.

Giles and Buffy arrive, apparently just missing Mackenzie's departure, to run through a new training routine. With a new bad on the loose, she realises the significance in gaining the upper hand— and what better way than to train.  
"Hey, Duncan!" Buffy greets him happily. "Thanks again for allowing us the use of your dojo." She adds as she lets her bag drop onto a nearby bench. Giles follows suit.  
"Duncan." He says as he opens his bag and sets himself up.  
"Giles." He returns her greeting and nods towards Giles. "Since I wasn't sure what your immediate needs are, I've finished my training for the day. The dojo is yours." He places his towel around his broad shoulders and Giles looks around.  
"Again, thank you for this," Giles says smiling as Duncan and Methos make their way to the elevator. "We shan't be too long." He adds, watching as Duncan lifts the metal gate.  
"Oh don't worry. Take whatever time you need." He adds as they get into the metal cage and he lowers the gate.

"Okay Giles, bring it on!" Buffy states ready for whatever he has to throw at her. He rolls his eyes and tilts his head.  
"What did you think I had in mind?" he inquires.  
"I dressed to workout in whatever capacity." She replies.  
"Well let's go through a few warm-up exercises, we'll move onto some hand-to-hand, our weapon routine and then cool it down."  
"So our regular routine to start?"  
"If that's okay with you? I would like to see how your time away from training has affected your form, in particular." He states as she begins to warm up by running sprints across the floor to ready her body for a quick stretch.  
"Okay, I think before we start the hand-to-hand, we should do a few offensive routines with hand pads." She nods and moves towards the side of the gym to retrieve the set for him. Stepping back, Buffy takes a breath and begins to move towards him, throwing a few punches and kicks— gently testing his ability to absorb her attacks.

Giles was actually impressed by how well her ease of movement and strength had been maintained despite their lack of training together.  
"I had forgotten that you had at the very least been training with Riley." He says after a moments break, removing the hand pads. She doesn't really want to talk about Riley, so she merely shrugs and takes the pads from him and returns them to their proper place.  
"I guess. I couldn't really go all out on him either. Even though he was hopped up on those drugs." She states in a quiet tone. Giles can tell that she's still hurt by their breakup, so he doesn't wish to push the issue.  
"Hand-to-hand, then?" he asks and she finishes towelling some of the sweat from her brow, sets her hair back in its ponytail and makes her way towards him. They bow to each other as though it were an official match, and assume their respective fighting stances. They quickly size each other and begin their sparring— easing into it, so she doesn't injure him like she had in the past.

Once home, Mackenzie removes her shoes and jacket, puts her bag near the basement door and heads straight upstairs for a shower. The hot water feels wonderful against her body as she runs her hands over her skin. Washing and rinsing her hair, she turns her back towards the shower head and allows the hot water to massage her neck and shoulder for a moment before turning back around and shutting off the water. Standing at the sink in her towel, she checks her body for bruises and is happy that there aren't any this time, she then makes her way back to her bedroom to find something clean to wear. Knowing that it was far too early for pyjamas, she pulls a pair of black cotton yoga pants, a pink tank top, and a casual button-down sweater, some socks and clean undergarments. Once dressed, she tidies the bathroom, making sure her towels are hung to dry. Turning out the light, she walks through her bedroom, slipping her slippers on as she exits and heads downstairs to homework and cooking dinner.

Popping her prepared meal, homemade three-bean turkey chilli, a recipe she found online, she quickly prepares a salad of romaine lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and a carrot with just enough dressing. Removing the dish from the microwave, she sets the table and then remembers that the news will be on and it's always good to know what's actually going on the in the world beyond her front door, even though the goings around her own area might be just as interesting. With her meal finished, the dishes in the dishwasher, she returns to the living room and flips the lights on the tree then settles herself on the sofa to finish reading a few sources for an upcoming essay due before she leaves for home to stay with her family. A gentle tap on her door brings her from her thoughts and she pushes the blanket off and stands— she makes her way to the door and is sure to check the peephole before opening it.

"Giles. Hi." She says and steps aside to let him in. "What brings you here?" she inquires as he removes his shoes and jacket.  
"I'm not interrupting anything, I hope." He finds himself looking in to be sure that she doesn't have company.  
"Oh, just school work, which by the way is going to be the unnatural death of me." She leads him to the living room. "Would you care for anything?" she inquires waiting for his answer.  
"A cup of tea would be lovely." He replies and she moves to the kitchen and he follows. "Please, allow me to help." She nods as she fills the electric kettle and he moves towards the fridge to retrieve the milk.  
"You seem to have a handle on my kitchen." Her comment accompanies a warm smile, which he returns. In the cosy space, they manage to put together the tray and while she reaches to get the tea biscuits, Giles picks up the tray and makes his way to the living room and sets it on the coffee table.

Hitching his casual navy pants, he settles himself on the sofa as Mackenzie follows with the plate of cookies. She places the plate on the tray as they wait for the tea to steep.  
"How did your training session go?" she inquires sitting on the other end of the sofa, facing him and tucking one of her long legs under herself— she picks up a pillow and places it in her lap so she can rest her arms on it.  
"I think that despite our not training together consistently, Buffy has managed to maintain the foundation that I have established with her from the beginning of her training."  
"That's awesome." She watches as he moves to pour their tea. He pours a drop of milk into each mug and lifts the teapot repeating the movements to pour the steeped hot liquid into the mugs— he then picks up one of the mugs and extends it out towards her and she receives it.  
"Thanks. Tea somehow always tastes better when someone else pours it."  
"Like a meal prepared by someone else." He adds and lifts his mug to take a sip. She leans towards the plate of cookies and takes one, carefully submerging it into the steaming liquid before biting into it.

"So how will you be spending your holiday?" Giles inquires, changing the subject.  
"Oh, I think I'll be heading home once again and spending time with my family and friends." She replies looking into his eyes, which she notes have darkened into a deep mossy green. "What about yourself?"  
"In a manner of speaking the same thing." He replies and they sit in a comfortable silence, which neither wishes to break with speech. Mackenzie is grateful for the break and in reality the company. Spending time with Giles on a non-vampire, demon, monster, things-that-go-bump-in-the-night capacity has become something few and far between. Actually, when she thought about it, they had been spending a great deal of time together with respect to vampires, demons and all things undead and evil. Once in a while, she wouldn't actually be needed for translations, rather just regular research, which had made her feel as though she actually was part of the group— but in reality, she was secretly enjoying the time she spent with him, even if it wasn't alone.

"So, I presume that I'm on house-sitting duty?" he cracks the joke with a wide grin and glint in his eyes. Before she replies, she stares at him for a long moment.  
"I suppose I hadn't thought of that." She joshes back. He places his mug on the tray and gently takes hers from her, their fingers brushing ever so softly— she finds that she has to look away momentarily to collect herself. Were there sparks? She wonders as they had only just begun spending a great deal of time together— originally, she had thought that whatever she had felt before wasn't something she would continue to feel, but here they were, sitting on the sofa in her living room and all she wanted to do was ravage him. Instead, so as not to embarrass herself, she thought of her various assignments, conjugated verbs in her head and even thought of the worst monster she could think of. By the look in his eyes, he had to have noticed it as well— so she manages to keep her cool and removes the pillow from her lap, stands, picks up the tray and returns to the kitchen.

"I do have another favour to ask of you." He says from the island. She lifts her eyes to meet his.  
"Sure, what is it?" she gently picks up the mugs, quickly rinses them and places them in the dishwasher.  
"I have more translations. This is more help due to time being a factor. Of course, I understand if you don't have the time— with school and everything." He manages as he removes his glasses and quickly retrieves his handkerchief to clean them. She turns and watches him closely for a moment.  
"Exams are finished for now— all I have left is a short research paper. I'm sure I can find a bit of time to help you out before the winter break." She replies and he replaces his glasses with a smile.  
"Thanks." He glances at the clock and realises that they had spent a good two hours in each others company, and yet, he truly didn't want to leave. How odd, he thinks to himself as they make their way to the foyer. He replaces his shoes and slips his jacket over his broad shoulders and runs his arms through the sleeves, but doesn't bother to button it up.

"I'll drop by tomorrow once I've finished the last main section of my paper." She finds that she easily closes the distance between them and quickly gives him a hug. He returns her embrace just as comfortably, they gently release each other, and he slowly turns and opens the door to leave. "Good night." She says as she leans against the doorframe to watch him walk across the courtyard. Once he opens his door, he turns to see her and waves. She waves back, then closes and locks her door.  
What Giles doesn't see as he closes his door and secures it, is the wisp of the curtains in Joe's flat fall back against the window casing. With a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he removes and hangs his jacket by the door, his shoes follow and he decides that an early night is probably for the best— he has quite a bit of research ahead of himself. What they know is that their newest foe consisted of a compilation of various bits and pieces of various demons and monsters— what they are unsure of, are what exact pieces and what those pieces do. Riley had been instrumental in procuring some of Professor Walsh's notes on 314, yet they were still unsure exactly what 314 was.

Once her final essay was submitted, Mackenzie could breathe once more. Besides, in her mind, she would soon see Giles, even if it was research related. She made a quick stop home first to pick up what she usually referred to as 'writer's block' cookies— whatever ingredients she had in the house that would make cookies would be utilised. This time she had made peanut butter toffee cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and tried to adapt a thumbprint cookie into something a little more interesting— thankfully with success and she knew she would be making them for Christmas as well. She dumps her school bag at the foot of the stairs, just out of the way and makes her way to the kitchen to pick up the Tupperware container filled to the brim with cookies. Hope they like them, she muses as she catches her reflection in the hall mirror and fusses with her hair to make it look a bit neater.

She knocks once on his door.  
"Enter at your own risk!" she hears Xander holler from within and she balances the container in one arm and turns the doorknob with the other. All eyes lift from their respective books as she enters and Giles is the first to greet and help her.  
"Kenzie, you made it." He says, accepting the container and setting it on his nearby desk, resting it on top of a pile of books. Then he proceeds to help her out of her jacket.  
"Thanks. How could I not? You requested my assistance." She pauses. "And I brought provisions for the researchers." She adds with a smile and they share a silent moment— in that moment, more is said. Xander is the first to spring to his feet and head towards the container.  
"What have we here?"  
"Oh, I baked when I was supposed to be studying for exams and paper writing." She smiles as she recalls how much the distraction actually assisted in calming her enough to concentrate.

"Xander if you could wait I'll make us some tea to accompany the cookies." Giles taps the young man's hand away from the container in jest.

"That actually sounds like a good idea. I need a break!" he exclaims and moves to plop himself into his spot on the sofa between Anya and Buffy, who have closed the books they had been looking at. Mackenzie joins Giles in the small kitchen and together they set a tray for the tea— an act that he is very well versed in and she always finds his movements calming.  
"So you mentioned some texts to translate?"  
"Ah yes, I thought it would go a bit faster if we worked on the translations while the others managed the newer editions."  
"That sounds like a plan. Buffy know what we're actually dealing with?"  
"Riley brought over some specs of project 314; however, what we don't know is how old they are."  
"So the demon parts could have changed— Professor Walsh could have been studying whatever and found another demon part that would be far more effective."

He nods as he pours the boiling water over the teabags in the teapot and places a tea cosy over the pot.  
"She's actually quite brilliant you know?" Mackenzie states with a deep frown, her teeth nibbling nervously at her lower lip.  
"Don't worry my dear, we'll get everything sorted out." He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gently squeezes— she nods with a slight smile and covers his. Picking up the tray she makes her way into the living room with Giles behind her, the container of cookies and small square paper napkins for the group. Buffy moves the blueprints of the Initiatives base away from the table so Mackenzie can place the tray down and they won't spill on anything of significance. Giles ceremoniously pours the tea, when everyone receives their cup, they add whatever they need. Mackenzie merely adds milk and opens the lid to reveal the treats.  
"These look amazing!" Buffy exclaims as she snags a chocolate chip cookie.  
"Yeah, just what we needed." Xander manages to take one of each type and they all laugh.

While enjoying their break, Mackenzie finishes her tea and takes her teacup to the kitchen, placing it in the sink and returns to pick up one of the books Giles has set aside specifically for her. She finds an overstuffed pillow, setting it on the floor, she sits herself down with the book and a notebook jotting notes here and there. The book describes fairly old demons and their characteristics. She looks at the schematics of this 314 and tries to see if any of the demons in the volume fits. None fit the profile, so she sets the book aside and opens another. Between Giles and herself, they manage to get through the books in need of translation. Setting the last book aside, Mackenzie rolls her head and tries to loosen her neck and shoulders. Giles, sitting in the leather armchair behind her, offers her a quick massage to untangle her muscles, which she accepts with a smile and he gently places his hands on her shoulders and works the stiffness out.  
"Thanks." She whispers and hands him the notebook that she has scribbled the translations of various demons whose parts appeared to match 314.

Xander pulls another piece of paper from a file and reads aloud:  
"Adam, or 314, will be ready for his debut very soon. I am so very proud of our progress and by the holidays he shall be fully functional."  
"I'm not exactly liking this," Buffy says as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Essentially, we have the blueprints, the access, and the how to."  
"Buffy we're not ready," Giles interjects.  
"We have the element of surprise," Willow says aloud. "I mean, sure Buffy got her ass kicked that first time, but she has us to help her this time."  
"What are you getting at?" Anya's eyebrows shoot up into her blond hairline.  
"Just think about it. Perhaps we're going about this the wrong way."  
"The Slayer is singular. She is the Chosen One, but alone in this particular situation, she will not be victorious. Professor Walsh was sure of that."  
"That's why she had Buffy quasi-join the Initiative isn't it?" Giles suddenly puts some of the pieces together. "Damn, we've been taking the wrong approach."  
"Not necessarily," Mackenzie adds.

"Professor Walsh didn't account for our magical abilities." She looks down at her hands momentarily.  
"Willow?" Giles' stern tone enough to cause the young red-head to retract her previous statement.  
"Okay, I know I shouldn't have done this, but I found a spell."  
"What if it goes wrong?" Xander inquires with a nervous expression.  
"It won't. It will work. If Giles does it." She amends carefully.  
"Willow, I don't have that kind of power." Giles shakes his head— mentally recalling his Ripper days and how powerful and addictive magic can be. Shaking his head he looks towards Buffy.  
"What is it?" she can hardly believe that she's seriously considering Willow's suggestion, not only is it a chance in hell at best, but dangerous for them to even be involved in the situation in the first place.  
"Here." She hands Giles the book and he begins skimming the page.  
Upon first glance it appears to be a pretty good chance for Buffy and her friends to rid the world of another baddie; however, he too saw the danger in their infiltrating the Initiative. After much discussion and a final agreement as to how they would accomplish their goal, the group decide that they have accomplished enough research for the evening. Buffy is the first to leave and sets out do a quick sweep on her way back to the dorms. Xander offers to drive Willow and Tara back to the dorms with Anya— leaving Giles and Mackenzie alone once again.  
"Thanks again for all of your help." He smiles, a shimmer of something catches his mossy green eyes.  
"Hey no problem, it's the least I can do under the circumstances." She replies standing and placing the pillow back in its place on the sofa. She then moves to collect the rest of their mess so Giles doesn't have to deal with it on his own.  
"And thanks for helping to tidy up." She only tilts her head and picks up the tea tray.

"Again, not a problem." She replies. "Are you sure there isn't more that I can do to help?"  
"I don't want you in the line of fire." He reaches out and runs his hand down her arm, a gesture to offer comfort. She looks into the sink as it fills with hot soapy water and begins to place the teacups within.  
"I'd wish you good luck or something to that effect, but I suppose I don't really know what to say."  
"You don't have to say anything." He stops himself from reaching out and tucking the strand of dark hair that had worked itself loose from her ear and blocks his view of her face. Mackenzie manages to wash the dishes and he dries them, setting them back in their place in the cupboard.

Setting their plan in motion, they make their way to Lowell House.  
"Nervous?" Willow asks.  
"No way. I'm full of good old kamikaze spirit." Xander replies  
"Xander, just because this is never going to work, there's no need to be negative." Giles rolls his eyes.  
"The adjoining spell— is it powerful enough to defeat Adam?" Willow inquires.  
"It's very powerful. It's also extraordinarily dangerous." Giles replies, knowing the strength of the spell.  
"Game faces, guys. We're going in." Buffy kicks in the window.  
They navigate through the house towards the secret elevator of the Initiative.

Suspending themselves from cables, Willow and Buffy carefully lower themselves down into the darkness of the shaft.  
"How are you doing?" Buffy asks as they carefully climb down the cable.  
"Super. What was I thinking, using stairs all this time?" she replies, one hand under the other— carefully lowering herself.  
"Okay. Will?"  
"No really, Buffy. It's not as scary as I thought." She replies.  
"No, that's not what I was gonna say. I just— I'm sorry. I hate that things have been so strained between all of us." Her confession coming at probably the worst time imaginable.  
"It's not your fault. Spike stirred up trouble." she illustrates her understanding of their situation.  
"Yeah, but I think the trouble was stir-uppable. I think we've all sort of drifted apart this year, don't you?"

"Maybe a little. But, you know, the first year of college, it's hard to keep the old high school gang together." Willow downplays the obvious blame.  
But I want it together. Will, I miss you. And Giles, and Xander— and it's my fault. I've been wrapped up in my own stuff, I've been a bad friend."  
"You're the Slayer, Buffy. Your stuff is pretty crucial."  
"I mean Riley— and Riley mostly."  
"Well, I haven't been Miss Available either. I, I kept secrets. I hid things from everyone." Willow assumes some of the blame as well.  
"That's not your fault. Will, you were going through something huge." Buffy clarifies.  
"I wanted to tell you, but I was so scared."  
"You can tell me anything. I love you, you're my best friend." Buffy shakes her head to illustrate her point and reaches out towards Willow and they hug.  
"Me too, I love you too." She replies as they begin to free fall due to their combined weight. "Oh, falling now!" she exclaims. Landing at the bottom of the shaft, they maintain their embrace.  
"Let's promise to never, not talk again," Buffy says lightly.  
"I promise, I promise." She replies happily as Xander slides down and they both hug him.

"Xander," Buffy says.  
"Oh, wonderful Xander," Willow adds.  
"You know we love you, right?" Buffy states.  
"We totally do." Willow smiles.  
"Oh God, we're gonna die, aren't we?" he says.  
"No, we just missed you," Willow says sweetly as he looks up.  
"Giles hurry up!" he calls up the shaft, Giles looks down into the darkness. "You definitely wanna get down here for this!" he adds happily. Once down, they get to work on the elevator doors, inching them slowly with a crowbar.  
"Okay, we stick together, then everyone should be fine." Buffy's pep talk. "Everybody ready?" she inquires as Giles finishes prying open the door. "Let's..." the rest of her thought is cut off as the open doors reveal five Commando guys with their laser blasters trained upon them. "do this." She finishes her thought.

They are taken to the Cornel, who is ready for them— only the conversation quickly moves away from his supposed genius idea of how to get close enough to Adam to disengage him. Hit him simultaneously with multiple taser blasters set with as high a voltage shock as possible. Xander only rolls his eyes in disbelief.  
"Great plan. That's right up there with 'duck and cover'." Buffy has already seen how ineffective the plan would be.  
"This is not your business. It's mine, you, the Initiative, the boys at the Pentagon, you're all in way over your heads. Messing with primeval forces you have absolutely no comprehension of."  
"And you do?" he cuts her off.  
"I'm the Slayer. You're playing on my turf." She replies with a confidence unexpected by her slight body.  
"Up there, maybe. But down here, I'm the one who's in control." No sooner do the words leave his lips that the power shuts down.

Once the team breaks away from their captures, they navigate towards room 314 and Adam. Locating a room close enough, she hopes they will be safe enough to perform their ritual. They all share a final look as she leaves them and enters room 314— only to find a scene right out of a science fiction film in front of her. Is Professor Walsh a zombie? Buffy wonders as Forest, one of Riley's Initiative buddies, all bits and pieces himself, lunges towards her. She struggles to maintain the upper hand long enough for the group to get started. In the quiet of the room, Giles lights a candle as Willow begins to chant.  
"The power of the Slayer and all who yield it. Last, to ancient first, we invoke thee. Grant us thy domain and primal strength. Accept us in the power we possess. Make us mind and heart and spirit joy. Let the hand encompass us. Do thy will."  
Still not feeling any different, Buffy figures they are still in the process of joining. However, she quickly realises that she's seriously getting her ass kicked.  
"Buffy?" she hears Riley softly call her name. Forrest then punches her in the face.  
"Shut up and watch me kill your girlfriend, Finn. That's an order." He growls. Inside the adjoining room, Willow continues.  
"Spiritus— Spirit." She hands Xander a card.  
"Animus—Heart." He says as she hands Giles a card.  
"Sophus— Mind," Giles says.  
"And Manus." Willow's voice holds courage. "We enjoin that we may inhabit the vessel— the hand, daughter of Sineya. First of the ones." Willow finishes while in the other room Buffy continues to hold her own.

"Is that it? Is that all you got?" Forrest taunts her.  
"No," Riley states as Walsh and Engleman glance over. "She's got me."

"Looks who's come off the bench." Forrest makes his way towards Riley, but Buffy heads him off with a kick to the face.  
"I need to get to Adam, like now, are you able?" she looks at him.  
"Go." He nods and she leaves. Buffy makes her way to the main control room and attacks Adam until his skewer flips out and he attempts to stab her with it— she reacts quickly by snapping it with her knee and punches him in the face.  
"Broke your arm." She says innocently.  
"Got another." He replies as his other suddenly sports a mini-gun. "I've been upgrading." As he fires at her. Diving behind the console, he finally stops.  
"We implore thee, admit us, bring us to the vessel, take us now."  
Revealing herself from her hiding place, Adam blows up the console and continues looking for Buffy. She rises to her feet, her eyes glowing a violent, fiery orange.  
"You can't last much longer." He taunts her.  
"We can. We are forever." Her voice not truly her own, it holds the combination of her and her friends— and suddenly she is speaking Sumerian. He responds by firing at her, but a force field suddenly appears protecting her from his attack.  
"Very interesting." He states as though studying her. Their battle continues and Adam tries to attack her hand-to-hand, but she expertly blocks each and every punch— kicking him in the stomach, he stumbles and falls; she grabs his head.  
"How can you?"

"You could never hope to grasp the source" Xander's voice is heard and Buffy finishes the thought, "of our power." She uppercuts him which sends him flying, landing in a heap on the floor and then picks him up and kicks him against the wall. Reaching into him, she then pulls out the uranium. "But yours is right here." She states and all Adam can do is groan weakly as he falls to the floor.  
"Buffy," Riley says as he watches the uranium levitating as he hears a woman's voice speaking in Sumerian and the uranium suddenly disappears— Buffy's eyes suddenly change to her normal colour and she faints, but he manages to catch her. As Buffy drops, so too do her friends in the other room.  
"Wow! That was..." Willow trails off as the door breaks down and a demon enters. Spike has followed it and quickly breaks the demon's neck and it crumples to the floor at his feet.

"Nasty sort of fellow. Lucky for you blighters I was here eh?" he states.  
"Yes, thank you," Giles replies, yet his tone changes. "Although your heroism has been slightly muted by the fact that you were helping Adam to start a war that would kill us all."  
"You probably just saved us so we wouldn't stake you right here," Xander adds.  
"Did it work?" Spikes expression serious as they all get up. "Well then, everything's all right. And we all get to be not staked through the heart. Good work, team." The sounds of footsteps stopping at the open door draw their attention.  
"Buffy," Giles says as Willow rushes to her friend to hug her.  
"Wasn't it amazing?" she asks.  
"You were great," Xander replies.  
"We were great." Buffy corrects him.  
"We still got men out there." Riley brings things back to perspective and they get back to helping civilians against the various demons who had escaped no thanks to Adam and his master plan. The project would be terminated and once there wasn't a single soul within the complex underground facility, the Initiative essentially blew it up.


	8. Chapter 8

All general disclaimers can be found in chapter one :)

The gang has gathered around Giles' coffee table once again, in one piece discussing their latest victory.  
"You seriously had to be there. It was **awesome**!" Xander says before stuffing a marshmallow into his mouth. Everyone laughs as they enjoy each other's company before holiday departures start.  
"Are you still going home?" Buffy directs her inquiry towards Mackenzie.  
"Yeah, it's tradition to spend the holiday with my family. Plus, it gives me the chance to catch up with friends that I only manage to keep in touch with these days through email." She replies leaning against the sofa.  
"I guess I didn't think about that," Willow says as she leans into Tara's warmth.  
"I miss them." She sighs wistfully and feels a gentle hand on her shoulder that she knows just from the size and pressure is Giles. She lifts her chin over her shoulder, looking up at him, she smiles and then reaches for a handful of flavoured popcorn.  
"Well, I guess in a way we're lucky," Buffy states as she leans forward and grabs a handful of chips. "We're together now." She smiles and munches on a few chips.

"Maybe we could create a new tradition," Xander says with a bright smile at his idea. "Why don't we have a Christmas dinner tomorrow night?"  
"Xander, where are we going to get everything that we need on such short notice?" Giles looks at the younger man.  
"That isn't such a bad idea." Mackenzie smiles, "I mean, sure a turkey might take some doing, but it isn't that late to shop right now. I don't mind making the turkey and tomorrow we could throw something together I'm sure."  
"I like this idea." Anya bobs her head while thinking about having their family together.  
"Well, let me make a list of what we need." Mackenzie stands, heads to Giles' desk and snatches a piece of scrap paper and a pencil.

"Turkey and the trimmings." Buffy giggles.  
"Right. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, dinner rolls, gravy, carrots," Mackenzie says while writing it down. "What am I missing?"  
"Desserts," Xander replies.  
"Well I won't have time to do any serious baking, so we'll have to buy something." She frowns sadly. "Next year we'll be way more organised. Oh! We have to have a ham as well. So ham and frozen orange juice, and I don't think I have any cherries."  
"Can anyone think of anything else?" Anya asks. "I'll bring a shrimp ring and Xander, why don't you bring some cheese and crackers to munch on before dinner?" he nods.  
"Tara and I can buy the deserts then," Willow says happily, holding Tara's hand.

With their list, Mackenzie gets up to go to the store.  
"Does anyone just need anything else while I'm out?" she inquires.  
"I'll go with you." Buffy volunteers standing.  
"Actually, here is the key to my place. Would you mind going into the basement and finding the boxes that should be labelled Christmas dinner set, or something like that and pull that out and see if it needs to be washed?" she asks and Buffy nods. Willow and Tara smile and stand.  
"We're going to head out to the bakery and see what we can get for dessert." They turn and make their way towards the front door, slipping on their shoes and grabbing their jackets to put on, on their way out.  
Xander and Anya quickly glance at each other.  
"I think we'll help Buffy with getting the tableware ready and setting the table. This is going to be so great!" he exclaims happily grabbing Anya's hand and quickly heading out as well.  
"I guess it's just you and I," Mackenzie says with an almost shy smile. Giles chuckles his response and they too get their shoes and jackets and head out the door. "I'll drive." She states and they make their way to her SUV.

"Buffy, do you see the box?" Anya calls from halfway down the stairs.  
"Yup, here it is." She replies pulling the box from its place and handing it to Anya.  
"There's another there." She says and Buffy pulls that one from the shelf as well.  
"How organised eh?" Buffy says looking around, Anya nods and they make their way back upstairs to find Xander pulling the dining room table apart to place the leaves within— extending the table to accommodate their family.  
"Oh check out the cloth," Anya says happily removing it from the box with the matching serviettes. They remove the remaining dishes and decide to carefully clean them.  
"Why not set the table now?" Xander suggests and they nod their agreement. Buffy washes, Anya dries while Xander begins with the cutlery and stemware.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie and Giles have found the ingredients for their meal.  
"Don't worry about the dinner rolls. I have a connection at the bakery for the most amazing rolls." Giles smiles as Mackenzie then returns the plastic bag and they make their way to the cash register.  
"I hope they find everything okay." Mackenzie frets and Giles grins with a low chuckle as they pay and collect the various bags. When they return to Mackenzie's flat, they take as many bags as they can between themselves and head for the front door.  
"Hey, let me help with those." Anya takes Mackenzie's bags and pops them in the kitchen and then returns to get Giles'.  
"I'll get the rest." Mackenzie makes her way back to the SUV and collects the rest. When she returns, she finds Anya and Xander unpacking the bags, and placing the items on the counter.  
"I thought we'd prepare everything this evening so that it makes it easier tomorrow." Buffy's grin reminds Mackenzie of her mothers.  
"Sure. Let's get on that." She enters the kitchen and the group find their places— Xander washing and drying various vegetables, Anya peels the potatoes, Buffy cutting the sprouts and Giles and Mackenzie preparing the stuffing, ham glaze, and cranberry sauce.

The following evening, the gang dress in their dressy casual clothes and upon their arrival, are greeted by the smells of Christmas dinner. Mackenzie happily flits about in her bright crimson off-shoulder sweater over a black lacy skirt and opaque tights with cute black and silver stilettos, placing snacks on the coffee table and returning to the kitchen, helping pour various drinks for her friends. Giles had yet to arrive, and Buffy was wondering what was keeping her Watcher.  
"Giles hasn't arrived yet." She whispers to Willow, who turns from her conversation with Tara and shakes her head.  
"I haven't seen him. He's always on time."  
"Wonder what's keeping him?" she exhales and looks at the door almost expecting him to walk in any minute.  
"Maybe he doesn't know what to wear?" Willow makes a funny face as Buffy actually considers her suggestion.

Meanwhile, Giles stands in front of the mirror and frowns. Brown cords, a hunter green fleece shirt, no tie and he was unsure of whether or not to wear a cardigan. The problem was that he didn't want to appear 'old and gross' as Buffy once put things, the whole Mr. Rogers thing really wasn't a becoming look, but he could always remove the sweater should he need to. His mind so busy reeling, he totally misses the knock on the door and it opened.  
" **Giles**!" Buffy shouts up towards the loft. He nearly jumps out of his skin and grabbing his cardigan opens the bedroom door and heads down the stairs.  
"Buffy. I didn't hear you."  
"Too busy fretting on your ensemble?" she gives him the once over and nods her approval.  
"I suppose it's that obvious."  
"It's just dinner with friends. Nothing major per se, except Kenzie, has outdone herself with the food and that outfit!" his expression changes to one of curiosity. "You look fine. You're Giles." She adds with a wink and reaches out for his hand.  
"I just have to get the rolls."

They walk across the courtyard and when Buffy opens the door, the party is in full swing. The tree is lit, classical holiday music is playing quietly in the background, the table is set— candles lit, munchies on the coffee table with napkins.  
"Merry Christmas Giles." Mackenzie makes her way from the kitchen to the foyer, his eyes nearly pop out of his head. He manages to maintain his composure so that no one notices him checking her out.  
"Merry Christmas Kenzie." He allows Buffy to take the bag of dinner rolls from his hand and makes his way towards her, embracing her in a friendly hug. She kisses his cheek and together they join the party.

"What will you have to drink?" she inquires as they head towards the kitchen.  
"Something festive." He replies happily.  
"I know just the thing." She grabs the bottle of cranberry juice, adds a splash of sparkling water and some ice cubes. She turns towards another dish and plucks a sprig of mint and drops it into the glass. "We're planning on the whole real festive thing at dinner. Anya brought the wine and I have dessert coffee planned." He smiles and nods, holds his glass out towards her in a salute, she picks up her glass and clinks his gently.  
"Before we get on with the festive—I want group pictures!" Willow says happily as she produces her camera. "Let's use the tree as the backdrop." She says as she finds a place to place her camera on its mini-tripod. Tara turns out some of the lights so the Christmas tree lights shimmer. "Okay, everyone! Tall people in the back!" Willow says directing the traffic and checking to see the composition. "Giles back row in the middle. Xander please stand beside him and Anya, could you grab those chairs please?" she quickly grabs two chairs and sets them in front of the men. "Perfect. Buffy"  
"I'll sit on the floor at Anya's feet beside Tara. And I think Mackenzie with those heels can stand on Giles' other side." She says as she sits in front of Anya. As quickly as they set up, Willow set her camera to take the photo and plants herself in the other chair. The flash signals the photo being taken and Willow springs up to check it.  
"One more okay?" they nod and she sets it up again. "I'll do it so it takes five shots this time." She informs them setting it up and then running to get back into the frame. Once the photo op is finished, they all head towards the dining room. Willow continues to snap pictures with her digital camera, promising to email everyone proofs and have copies made for Giles.

The meal is a wonderful and uneventful in the sense of uninvited guests, and the gang enjoys the conversation and food.  
"A toast to the hostess." Xander gently taps his glass. "I just want to say thank you for your ability to pull off an amazing dinner party with one night's notice. Next year we'll be more organised." He holds his glass up and everyone clinks glasses.  
"Cheers." The chorus says happily. Giles watches his family from his seat at the head of the table across from Mackenzie and enjoys how happy everyone is.  
"To Mackenzie!" Anya says after.  
"Everyone, if I may?" Mackenzie suddenly feels the need to say something. "I know that I haven't been part of your family for very long, and you have truly embraced me by allowing me to assist you whenever I've been able. It's been quite the year and I'm so proud to have each and every one of you around my table. Actually, I feel incredibly blessed to have all of you in my life." She raises her glass. "To my wonderful accepting extended family." She adds and they all clink their glasses. The sentimentality of the moment isn't lost on Giles and he continues to enjoy his meal with his family. Once they have finished, they help with clearing the dishes— taking them to the kitchen, Xander and Anya remove the scraps and stack them beside the sink, while Buffy, Willow, and Tara clear the stemware and serving dishes.

"I think I need a moment to digest before dessert," Xander announces.  
"Well, why not go sit in the living room. I'll get some of these dishes washed while I get the water ready for desserts accompanying coffee." Mackenzie says and shoos them out of the kitchen.  
"Are you sure?" Willow interjects. "We can help too."  
"That's okay, really. I don't mind at all. I have games if you guys want." She adds with a grin.  
"That sounds like a good idea," Buffy says with a smile of her own. "I'll clear the coffee table." She starts to gather the baskets of various snacks while Tara and Willow collect the empty glasses and sets the napkins on another table for dessert. Mackenzie fills the sink with soapy hot water and places the plates to soak for a moment.

"You wash and I'll dry if you like," Giles suggests and without thought or protest, she nods and together they get the dishes done.  
"Who's in for dessert coffee?" she asks the group.  
"Sounds good." They chime in.  
"Giles are you in? Or would prefer tea? I have a selection of teas as well if you'd like.  
"I think I'll partake in coffee this evening." He tilts his head and watches as she retrieves mugs from the cupboard and locates a box of flavoured coffee. She opens the individual packets and dumps them into the mugs than pours the hot water over while stirring to dissolve the powder.  
"Ice cream in your coffee?" she asks and they all say yeah in agreement. Mackenzie turns to the fridge and retrieves a tub of sugar-free vanilla ice cream. Scooping a generous amount of ice cream into the mugs, she then grabs the canned whipped cream.

Willow and Xander got up and take mugs for their respective significant others, Buffy takes hers and leaves two mugs behind— one for Mackenzie and the other for Giles. Mackenzie then quickly gathers the desserts that Willow and Tara brought and places the fresh fruit into a cut-glass bowl, and removes the decadent cake from the box, placing it on a plate. She quickly sets the desserts on the coffee table while Giles follows with the plates, bowls, spoons, and forks. Before he realises it, Mackenzie is standing beside him with his coffee and Xander is cutting into the cake while Willow is scooping fruit onto a plate awaiting a slice of cake.  
"Here you go." She whispers in Giles' ear, holding out his mug towards him.  
"Thank you, my dear." He replies quietly and they find seats.  
"This has been amazing!" Buffy says happily as she places her empty plate on the coffee table. "I do need to patrol tonight though." She stands and the group groan, but each takes a turn to embrace her.  
"Thank you for coming," Mackenzie says quietly as Buffy does the zipper on her jacket up to her neck. "Be careful." A curt nod and Buffy quickly opens the door and closes it quickly behind.

"I didn't realise how late it's gotten," Anya says stifling a yawn and Xander puts a hand on her shoulder.  
"You ladies need a ride back to the dorms?" he inquires and both Willo0w and Tara nod and smile.  
"Thanks, Xander." Willow quickly accepts his offer.

While out on patrol, Buffy wonders if the others took her cue and left Giles with Mackenzie. When are they going to realise that they belong together? She muses as she turns the corner and enters the first graveyard on her route. Here vampy, vampy, vampy, she enjoys the mental taunting.  
"Slayer." An English accent slithers in the cool night, his cigarette burning, the red tip giving away his location and Buffy heads towards it.  
"Spike, what are you up to now?" she asks getting close enough to talk to him, yet far enough away to protect herself. "Haven't you done enough damage?"  
"Oh, you mean the whole Yoko effect?"  
"Which, by the way thankfully bombed— and you're lucky I'm not kicking your peroxide blond ass around the cemetery at this moment." She retorts. He holds up his hands in defence.  
"You wouldn't. I'm too valuable to you." He replies and she gives him an odd glance.  
"What is it, Slayer? Did I hit a nerve?" he questions her while turning on his heel, his black leather duster billowing slightly from the wind. "Just get on with your hunt and leave me alone." He says over his shoulder. Buffy just watches as he walks away.

Damn it! She mentally scolds herself, I should just stake him. It would make things so much easier, she continues on her trek through a sleeping Sunnydale, through empty parks and cemeteries. Perhaps the docks will have a little action, she thinks as she makes her way towards the seedier part of town. In the worse case scenario, she would find crack houses, perhaps a brothel, or a few vamp nests—the latter of which she was far more interested in. What she found; however, wasn't what she had expected and she knew there was no way that she could possibly deal with a nest of its size at that moment alone. I'll prepare my line of attack and return tomorrow with the advantage of sunlight, she carefully makes her way back through the streets of Sunnydale home and to her comfy bed.

With all the dishes washed, dried, and placed back in the boxes— Mackenzie sighs happily and plops herself on the sofa next to Giles.  
"Thanks again for all of your help." She smiles and turns so that she can kick off her shoes and tucks one leg underneath herself.  
"Its no trouble my dear." He replies with a hand on his knee, which he suddenly finds is in close proximity to Mackenzie's. Glancing at his watch, Giles nearly jumps off the sofa. "My g-goodness it's g-gotten late." His stutter returning slightly as Mackenzie also glances at her watch.  
"I hadn't noticed the time." She smiles. "I have to be sure to be ready to leave tomorrow." She frowns.  
"Yes, of course. By the way, I'm happy to look after things here for you while you're gone." He stands and she follows.  
"I really do appreciate that." She replies as moves towards the hall table to retrieve the spare key.

"You may need this." she holds the key out towards him and he receives the metal in the palm of his hand, the tips of her painted fingers brush against his hand much in the same manner as the first time he watched over her flat— although this time he allows himself to enjoy the sensation. Neither of them is officially attached to anyone else, the timing could very well be right for them to see where their relationship might be heading. He then places the key in the breast pocket of his flannel shirt with a crooked smile and she turns from him, making her way to the Christmas tree, she returns with a small wrapped gift. "And this is for you." She adds as he accepts the gift with a gentle smile.  
"Kenzie, you didn't have to."  
"I know, but." She pauses lost for an explanation.  
"Thank you for thinking of me." He places the package on the hallway table. "Is there anything else I can help you with this evening?"  
"Thank you for the offer, but I think everything has been taken care of." She tilts her head to the side and her hair picks up the soft light. He wishes he could reach out and run his fingers through her hair, but he reframes from doing so, only steps to close what little distance is between them to embrace her. She buries her face in his chest and enjoys the unique Giles-y smell— a combination of old leather-bound books, a soap she couldn't quite place except that she thought it might be saddle wood with a mix of musk and something she wasn't sure of, but she enjoys the comfort she finds in it nonetheless.

Giles finds his sense bombarded with a gentle vanilla scent with a floral undertone, mixed with a berry shampoo. He enjoys the warm moment they share and slowly breaks the embrace, holding her at arm's length.  
"This evening, the whole of it has been wonderful." He leans in towards her and gently places a kiss on the top of her head. He is unsure how she will react, but like with all of their interactions, she appears to take this slightly bolder move in stride.  
"Merry Christmas Giles." She looks up at the ceiling above them and with a smile; she stands up on tiptoes and gently kisses his cheek. "Mistletoe." She states simply and his eyes follow her glance.  
"So it would seem. Merry Christmas." He adds and they finally move towards the foyer and Giles quickly slips he shoes on and she hands him a bag of various leftovers and the gift.  
"We'll talk when I return." She says as she opens the door for him to slip through and make his way home.  
"Yes, of course." He replies and turns, heading back to his flat, he pauses halfway and waves. She rolls her eyes and returns his wave and waits until he is safely within, closing her door, she locks it and turns off the lights as she heads upstairs to prepare for bed.


	9. Chapter 9

The general disclaimer is in the first chapter. Any references and or dialogue used from the show was pulled from the Buffyworld transcript site.

Christmas morning in the Summers' home is a whirlwind of excitement with mother and daughter in the kitchen making sure that the turkey is in the oven and all the evening prep work is put into action. Once Buffy mentally goes over her list and knows that everything was essentially ready to go, she tidies up the kitchen enough to make a new mess— breakfast. She easily mixes the batter for Christmas pancakes, finds the bacon— places the cast iron pan on the stove to heat. Turning towards the cupboards, she quickly retrieves two glasses and fills them with orange juice, starts the coffee maker, and makes sure the batter is full of air for fluffy pancakes. When her mother re-emerges from a shower and getting dressed, she smiles at Buffy.  
"You did all this?" Buffy merely nods and carefully ladles pancake batter into another awaiting frying pan.  
"Well, you'll be doing the bulk of dinner tonight while I entertain our guests and slip out for a quick patrol. It's the least I can do for the best mom in the world." Buffy adds with a grin while her mother makes the coffee and Buffy places pancakes on a plate and pops it into the oven to keep them warm while she ladles another helping into the frying pan.

Meanwhile, in Seacouver, Christmas morning in the Lamont home has begun as well.  
" **Kenzie!** " Jason shouts from the bottom of the stairs. Mackenzie stirs and takes a deep breath, stretching her limbs. Do I have to? She wonders as the dream she had been having slowly disappears from her mind. I'm sure that I have time to dress, she muses and pads across her bedroom to the closet to ready herself for the morning. Without much thought, she quickly pulls a pair of black Lululemon yoga pants and a soft heather grey pullover. Foregoing socks, she slips her feet into her awaiting slippers before glancing at her reflection and heads downstairs.  
"Good morning all- Merry Christmas!" She says brightly, meeting the family in the kitchen. Her mother has set out the usual Christmas breakfast on the island counter— orange and apple juice, tea, coffee, Danishes, fresh fruit, toast, scrambled eggs, jams, pancakes, waffles, and French toast.  
"Morning sweetie, Merry Christmas." Her mother says and gives her a quick hug. They have a wonderful breakfast and everyone helps tidy the kitchen before making their way to the living room to open their gifts.

Having opened their gifts, Buffy and her mother ready themselves for the rush of festivities as her friends will begin to arrive. While dinner would be at six, Xander usually arrives just before lunch and Willow sometime in the afternoon to help with the finishing touches. Mr. Giles, as Joyce always refers to him, usually makes his appearance closer to dinner— with the freshest dinner rolls from the bakery, a bottle of wine for the 'grownups', and what Buffy would always tease him as a very English dessert.  
"Mom! Xander is here!" Buffy calls upstairs to let her mother know not to venture down to the kitchen in her bathrobe, not that it would be a big deal. "So what did you bring this year?" she flashes a bright smile as he holds up a bag.  
"I brought lunch and I thought I should bring some snacks for tonight as well as a little something for before dinner." He continues to list his booty as he removes his jacket and hangs it on the hook beside the door. "You look really great." He adds and hugs her tightly. "Merry Christmas."  
"Awe, thanks, Xand and Merry Christmas." She kisses his cheek and they pick up his bags and take them to the kitchen to unpack.

The kitchen has quickly become the hub of their Christmas gathering, Joyce and Xander prepare lunch while Buffy adds a few finishing touches to the deserts and when her mother asks, she helps with the turkey. It isn't long before Willow arrives.  
"Happy Holiday!" Buffy says as her friend sets the bags on the floor beside the door and removes her jacket.  
"Merry Christmas Buffy." Her smile lighting up her eyes and she retrieves the bags filled with her contribution to the evening's festivities.  
"Hey Will!" Xander calls from the kitchen. "Happy Holiday!" he adds as she and Buffy enter the kitchen, Buffy placing the bags on the counter while Xander quickly makes his way towards Willow and captures her in a tight embrace.  
"Merry Christmas Xander." She says into his neck. "Can't breathe."  
"Oh right. Sorry about that." He loosens his grip on her and they return to their tasks. "Something for lunch?" his smile wide and crinkles his dark eyes slightly. She nods and joins the fun.

Gathering around the festively decorated dining room table, Mackenzie and her family stand behind their chairs. With heads bowed, her father recites the evening meals grace.  
"Amen." They say in a solemn chorus and proceed to their next tradition— the pulling of the Christmas crackers. Mackenzie couldn't help it, she always feels terrible for the destruction of the beautiful crackers but picks hers up nonetheless. Everyone around the table crosses their arms and takes the end of the cracker of the person beside them.  
"One… Two… Three…" her mother says happily as they all pull the crackers to a chorus of loud bangs and pops. Prior to sitting, they remove the paper crowns, prizes, and jokes that will be read during the meal, and tidy up the ripped paper. Her father returns the turkey to the kitchen and begins to carefully carve the meat from the bones while her mother removes the homemade stuffing— placing it in bowls to be passed around the table. Once everyone is settled, Duncan clears his throat.

"I would like to propose a toast." He begins and everyone's attention is glued to him. "Thank you for inviting me to be part of your family for the holiday season. This has truly been a wonderful Christmas; defiantly one I shall never forget. Merry Christmas and all the health and happiness that the season brings to you— my family." He finishes and they clink glasses around the table. Mackenzie turns her head and smiles warmly and he winks before they join the rest of the conversation. With the meal complete, Mackenzie and Jason begin to collect the dishes from the table and take them into the kitchen. Quickly falling into a comfortable pace, Jason scrapes the plates and hands them to her to rinse and stack beside the sink as the dishwasher is completely packed and still going through a cycle.  
"So school is going well?" he inquires as he sets another plate at her elbow. She merely nods. "What is it? Or rather should I say who is he?" She lets a loud exasperated sigh escape her lips while tilting her head to the side.

"Why does everyone assume that there's someone? Can I not just be happy?" she scrunches her nose in protest.  
"I've been talking with Uncle Joe and he seems to think there might be someone who has caught your attention. Which, I might add, I never thought possible."  
"Oh really?" she cocks her eyebrows and turns to face him.  
"Well, I've always known you to be driven to the point **no** one could **ever** distract you."  
"My grades are perfectly fine." She avoids the subject as best she can, but cannot stop the blush that slowly rises up her neck to rest on her cheeks.  
"So is it true? That you have been spending time with the guy across the courtyard?"  
"Jay! I have merely been helping with research." She states defensively. "There isn't anything going on between us." She adds, keeping the fact that she hopes that her feelings aren't one-sided.  
"Well, Uncle Joe just mentioned that you appear to be spending a great deal of time at his flat, rather than at home or at UC Sunnydale for that matter."  
"I— well that is. Nothing is going on between us. Like Duncan and I, we're just friends." She says justifying her whereabouts. "Okay, here's the deal. I'm not sure exactly sure. There have been a few moments here and there, but I don't want to push— I think he's been through a lot and if there is something, I don't want to jinx it."  
"Okay, if you say so." He nods towards the dining room. "I'm just going to see what's left and then we can get desert organised in the living room." He leaves her to her thoughts.

Giles arrives at the Summers' home at quarter to six with the promised items.  
"Merry Christmas Giles!" Buffy graciously plays the hostess and assists him as needed. Then quickly wraps her arms around him in a tight embrace. He smiles and they pick up his bags as they make their way to the kitchen and all the usual holiday excitement.  
"Merry Christmas Mr. Giles." Joyce looks up from the pot of potatoes she had been mashing with a hand mixer.  
"Merry Christmas Joyce." He returns and they share a quick hug.  
"Giles!" Willow greets him with a hug, "Merry Christmas." She looks up at him and his amused expression grows.  
"Happy Holiday, my dear." He releases her and Xander stands.  
"Merry Christmas Giles." They forego the hug and shake hands.  
"Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't we move this party into the living room?"  
"Yeah, we've put together hors-d'oeuvres," Buffy says proudly and they grab drinks and head to the other room.

Giles sits in the armchair and the gang plant themselves around the coffee table, Joyce slips in and sits in the middle of the sofa.  
"Wow, you guys." Joyce shakes her head in disbelief. "Shrimp, sausage rolls, and spring rolls."  
"With all the sauces," Xander says happily as he picks up a shrimp and coats it in seafood sauce. "This **is awesome**!" he exclaims and they happily chatter while snacking.  
"I'll check on the turkey." Joyce stands and Buffy follows her into the kitchen.  
"Looks amazing mom, as usual." She helps by finding the dishes for the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, and cranberry sauce. While her mother places the bird on a serving platter, Buffy returns to the living room.  
"Hey guys, time for dinner." The words no sooner leave her lips that the gang collect most of what's left of the hors-d'oeuvres and quickly tidy them up then make their way to the dining room.

They find their seats and sit, Joyce at one head of the table and Giles at the other. She indicates that she will say a Christmas/Holiday blessing and then nods towards Giles.  
"Will you do the honour of carving the turkey?"  
"Yes, of course." He follows her into the kitchen and while he carves the bird, Joyce and Buffy take the various dishes out to the dining room. Once everyone is settled, Buffy picks up her Christmas cracker and everyone happily follows suit. They cross their arms and pull them apart with a chorus of crackles and loud bangs and pops. Giles cringes as they place the brightly coloured paper crowns on their heads and Willow pulls out her camera.  
"Oh come on Giles! When in Rome." Willow pouts slightly and reluctantly Giles agrees. She sets her camera on a timer and they gather for a fun group shot. The conversation remains fixed on the evening's plans— movies, popcorn, and more junk food. Giles' stomach suddenly lurches at the thought and he's suddenly glad that he will not be partaking in this evening's festivities— he has his evening planned out for quiet research and perhaps some time for reflection.

Once the dinner party winds down and everything is cleaned up, the group make their way to their bags and retrieve their overnight supplies— sleeping bags and pyjamas. Giles quickly conducts the good evening rounds, wishing his family a Merry Christmas— and in Willow's case a happy holiday. Hugs and kisses are then exchanged and he follows Buffy to the entryway.  
"I'm going to do a quick sweep before starting the movie," Buffy says with a smile as she grabs her leather jacket from the hook beside the door.  
"Be careful." Her mother calls from the kitchen.  
"Always, I'll see you guys soon." She opens the door and walks Giles to his car.  
"Merry Christmas Giles." She says with a one-of-a-kind Buffy smile.  
"Merry Christmas Buffy." He replies happily as he unlocks the door and moves to get into the driver's seat. "Did you need a ride anywhere?" he inquires.  
"Nah, but thank you anyways," she watches as he closes his door and starts the car. As he drives away, she makes her way through tonight's planned route, making sure to double check a few hot spots.

For the second year in a row, Mackenzie misses her family New Year's gathering.  
"Are you sure that you want to miss this?" Jason asks over his mug of morning coffee. She sighs loudly, lowering her eyes and returns to her breakfast.  
"I just."  
"When you're like this, there is no reasoning with you, you know that right?" he puts his mug on the island counter and she reaches out towards it. He doesn't get upset with her like he normally would— instead he pushes it towards her.  
"Thank you." She lifts the ceramic mug to her lips and enjoys. "This is good. She comments with a smile and half-closed eyes, savouring the rich aroma and flavour, while Jason turns away and begins to prepare another mug.  
"It's just that with everything you have told me about the lives Buffy and Giles lead— always just on the brink of death. And here you are heading right towards that which you have fought so hard to maintain— your mortality."  
"I see what you're saying Jay. I really do; however, all I've been involved in has been the research aspect of things. Giles would never put any of us in dangers grasp." She replies as she places the mug down and slowly picks up her fork.

"You're probably the only woman who would be a match for him anyways," Jason states, matter-of-factly and she tilts her head staring at him for a long moment.  
"Wait a minute; is that you not minding my choice?"  
"Again— hello! Me telling you that you cannot do something only drives you towards it. If, as you say, your relationship isn't interfering with your studies and position within the Watcher's Council, then I don't see a problem with pursuing it. You **never** know what you may have missed out on. I **don't** want to hear you kicking yourself for possibly letting him be the one that got away."  
"Got away?" their mother says as she enters the kitchen.  
"Yeah, Kenzie here as a potential love interest."  
"You're getting serious with Matt?" she asks while making her way to the fridge and retrieving the orange juice.  
"No, as a matter of fact, Kenzie's interested in another Watcher." Jason slips in. The glass orange juice container nearly slips from her hand as she just manages to save it with her other hand.  
"Mr. Giles?" her mother's inquiry is calm and that frightens Mackenzie.

"Mom, Giles and I have been friends for quite some time and seriously have gone through some very bonding experiences. However, I'm merely contemplating the direction of our relationship and whether or not we even have something that can be defined as such."  
"But his Watchers Council isn't quite the same as ours." She places the orange juice on the island counter and finds herself leaning against the counter for support.  
"I understand that mother, really I do, which is why I've been unsure."  
"So you're talking to your brother about this?" she put on her best motherly wounded expression and Mackenzie and Jason both laugh lightly.  
"I presume that whatever I choose to do will be fine with you and father? It isn't as though its Duncan or Adam." She adds with a grin and her mother smiles, makes her way towards her and wraps an arm around her shoulders in a tight embrace.

"So you'll be leaving us early again this year?" her mother inquires lightly. She nods and then looks down.  
"I think it's the right thing for me right now. I have a research paper that I want to get started on as well as a few other assignments. I should get back into a regular training schedule with Duncan; my training has kind of been slipping of late— with all the research I've been doing and work has kept me rather busy as well." She takes a bite of her toast.  
"I was hoping to have a girl's day out." Her mother says with a sigh and Mackenzie smiles.  
"Today?" she says finishing her eggs.  
"That sounds like a plan. We'll shop for a New Years eve dEves for you." Her mother collects the dishes and begins to rinse them to put them in the dishwasher. Jason quickly stands and takes over.  
"Go— have fun— do girly things, but don't stay out too late." He shoos them out of the kitchen.  
"Dad won't mind?" her mother shakes her head as they head upstairs to get ready to go out.

Their shopping excursion produces several outfits for the new school semester, along with some dressier pieces that she will be able to use to jazz up her existing wardrobe. Her mother also managed to put a good dent in her credit card, buying some new shoes, boots, accessories, and an evening gown for a New Years Eve party. They enjoy lunch at a new Japanese restaurant and spend the afternoon getting pedicures and facials.  
"Thanks for this mom. It's so amazing to spend quality time with you." She hugs her mother before taking her bags up to her bedroom.  
"Janelle, dear did you have a good time?" Tony calls from the door of his study. He heard his favourite girls enter and curiosity brought him to see what they had been up to. She places her bags aside and makes her way towards him.  
"Wonderful quality time with my now not so little girl." She sighs and quickly presses her lips gently against his.

"When did she say she was leaving?"  
"Oh, what's today? Wednesday. Friday."  
"Then I had better book my time with her before she hasn't any left for me." He smiles and hugs her before making his way upstairs. Mackenzie, meanwhile, has carefully placed her purchases back in their bags and set them aside so she won't have to pack them. The tap on her bedroom door brings her from her thoughts of home.  
"Come in." she calls as she turns from the closet and greets her father with a wide smile, "what's up?" she watches as he makes his way towards the chair that stands proudly in front of a writing table. He hitches his trousers and sits in the chair as she moves to sit on the corner of her bed.  
"I hear that you're going home early again this year." She nods, without giving him the reason. "I was wondering if you have some time to spend with me tomorrow." He leans forward; resting his elbows on his knees and clasps his strong hands.  
"Of course dad, why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?" She gets up, closing the distance between them; she wraps her arms around him. He returns the embrace and they discuss their plans for the day.

" **Kenzie! Dad!** " Jason's voice is heard hollering from the bottom of the stairs, " **dinner!** " they look at each other and laugh.  
"See what I don't really miss," she states cocking a brow as they make their way downstairs to the dining room. Dinner conversation surrounds New Year's Eve and the various activities that they have planned. Jason mentions that he will be attending an off-campus party, while her parents are attending a charity gala or something to that effect. Her Uncle Joe and Duncan had also decided to return to Sunnydale early to attend various events. Mackenzie was grateful to the stillness of the evening and she situates herself on the sofa hidden under a plush throw with the television on— an old black and white film playing. No one home, her parents had gone to a party with Joe and Duncan and thankfully, Jason had managed to snag a date.

Oddly enough, during the film, her mind begins to wonder— as the story reminds her of a certain someone. Turning her gaze towards the cordless phone, she stares at it for the longest time before finally reaching out and picking it up. She dials his number from heart but pauses on the last digit. What the heck? She mentally laughs at herself as she presses it and waits for him or the answering machine to pickup.  
"Hello?" his voice immediately calms her and she's glad that she made the call.  
"Hey, Giles. How goes it?" she inquires lightly. She can almost hear the smile that caresses his lips before answering.  
"It goes. Nothing catastrophic on the horizon." He replies.  
"You're researching." She says in a mock accusatory tone.  
"Well yes, I am working on something." She can hear him close a book that he has no doubt set aside. "Is everything okay?" he inquires and she can hear a hint of concern.  
"Yes, everything is good here. I just." She pauses.  
"Are you enjoying your time with your family?"  
"Very much. I had a mom and daughter day today and tomorrow I'm going to spend the day with my dad."  
"That sounds wonderful." He smiles and sits back in his armchair. Their conversation is comfortable and lasts late into the evening— until Mackenzie realises the time.

"I'm so sorry to have kept you for so long." She says wishing that their conversation wouldn't end.  
"That's all right. I'm here if you ever need or want to talk." He says with the hope they will speak again before she returns.  
"Thanks. Have a wonderful evening." She pauses, "good night Giles." She adds quietly.  
"Good night Mackenzie." He replies and he shakes his head while cradling the receiver. Mackenzie presses the end button and allows the phone to rest on the sofa beside her feet. What's the matter with me? She wonders as she tries to fix her attention back on the television and the film that draws near to its conclusion. Her mind absently wanders through bits and pieces of their conversation and she feels a sense of ease wash over her as her eyes begin to droop slightly and sleep finally claims her.

Duncan is the first to quietly enter the house— Mackenzie's mother, father, and Joe are still outside. He notices that the television is still on and he walks stealth-like to the living room, only to find Mackenzie fast asleep on the sofa, the fluffy blanket embracing her shoulders, he watches her even breathing. Instead of waking her, he makes his way towards her and carefully scoops her into his arms and carries her upstairs to her room. Quietly pulling the blankets and sheets back, he gently places her into bed and covers her.  
"Good night Kenzie." He whispers as he turns to go back downstairs. She doesn't even realise that she's been moved and snuggles further into a dream-filled sleep.

The next morning, when Mackenzie awakens remembering her father-daughter day, she quickly gets ready. Arriving in the kitchen, she finds Duncan and Jason already sitting at the kitchen island and eating breakfast.  
"Good morning." She says happily as she stops at the fridge and retrieves the oranges juice. She places it on the counter and grabs a glass from one of the cupboards and carefully pours the juice. "Juice?" they nod their response.  
"Sleep well Kenzie?" Duncan inquires as she places the glasses on the island in front of them.  
"Yes, thanks." She puts the glass container back in the fridge and sits beside Jason. "How was the party?"  
"Pretty good. Amanda happened on it as well." He adds and she turns to look into his deep expressive chocolate eyes.  
"Is she still platinum blond?"  
"No, actually she has gone back to her root colouring. And, get this; she has chin-length hair." He shakes his head. "Women." He sighs and rolls his eyes to emphasise the point.  
"Yeah right! Men find a style or whatever and never bother thinking about changing it. A woman wants to change the colour or style of her hair and it's 'women'" she laughs and emphasises her point with air quotes.

"So what are your plans today?" Jason inquires as he finishes the pieces of toast.

"I'm spending the day with dad," she replies. "I have no idea what we're up to, but I'm sure it'll be great." She adds with a bright smile. She has managed to spend a day with her mother, another with her friends and her brother and now one with her father.  
"Sounds like fun." He says happily as he takes his plate to the sink.  
"What sounds like fun?" their father says from the doorway on his way into the kitchen. Stopping at the coffee maker, he fills his mug and moves towards the island to nab some milk.  
"Kenzie mentioned that the two of you have a day planned."  
"That we do." He replies. "I'm thinking we'll hit the mall, check out the bookstore, grab some lunch and catch a movie."  
"That sounds like fun." She smiles and looks down at her jeans, crisp Oxford shirt over a black tank top.  
"You look fine." He states with a thumbs up.  
"Thanks." She stands and takes her dishes to the sink.

The rest of the week flies by and Mackenzie finds herself packing to go home.

"Are you sure that you can't stay longer?" her mother has the 'tears are on the way face' and she has to look away momentarily to recover.  
"Mom, I would love to stay, but I really need to get back."  
"Classes aren't starting up till after the New Year."  
"I know, but I just like to get back to normal." She replies hiding the true reason for her leaving early. This time it really is because of a handsome man in Sunnydale.  
"Don't forget to call when you get home." Her father says from behind her and she turns to launch herself into a tight hug.  
"I won't." she kisses his cheek. "I love you guys." She adds and her mother and brother wrap their arms around her too. "Can't breathe!" she suddenly says with a laugh and after much hugging and kissing goodbye, Mackenzie, Duncan, and Joe are on their way back to Sunnydale.

Arriving home, Mackenzie happily opens the door. Placing her dirty clothes bag beside the basement door, she turns back to retrieve the rest of her bags and opened Christmas gifts.  
"Giles!" she shrikes slightly in surprise, "I didn't think I would see you until later." She adds and her smile widens happily and she steps towards him, closing the distance between them and wraps him in a warm hug. He returns the embrace.  
"Welcome home." He whispers in her ear, "how was your vacation?" he inquires as they part yet keep each other at arm's length.  
"It was wonderful. Although I missed someone very special." She says innocently wondering if he'd figure out whom she meant.  
"I missed you too." He nudges her playfully.

"Would you care for something?" she inquires politely, he takes a moment to consider her offer.  
"I would like that. Then you can tell me how your holiday was." He pauses. "Did you say you had more to bring in?" she nods. "Allow me to help." He offers and she nods her appreciation and together they head to her SUV and she hands him a few lighter things to carry. She places some of the bags at the foot of the stairs and then returns to the kitchen to find Giles already preparing tea.  
"Awe thanks, Giles. Although it is I who offered you something, which generally means that I am the one who ought to prepare it."  
"I just thought I'd lend a hand." He winks at her and together they prepare the tea. After they settle themselves in the living room, the tray on the coffee table, he places his hand in his pocket. "I know that itss after, but I wanted to give you this." he holds the small wrapped package out towards her.

"Giles," she pauses. "You didn't have to do that." She hesitates.  
"Please open it." He appears a bit nervous and she can't imagine him being nervous. She carefully undoes the little silver ribbon, which had been artfully perfectly tied. Just as with the ribbon, she finds a bit of tape and carefully pulls and parts the shimmery red paper to reveal a hunter green velvet box. She almost feels like saying 'drum roll please', but reframes from doing so and instead just as carefully as she had revealed the velvet box, she opens it. Nestled within is a white gold pendant in a Celtic style with emerald and diamond accents.  
"Oh Giles, it's beautiful!" she exclaims and pushes herself up from the sofa to hug him. "Thank you." She adds and kisses his cheek.  
"When I saw it, I thought only of you." He says bashfully with a slight blush climbing up his neck, which she ignores so as not to embarrass him further.  
"Every time I wear it, I shall think of you." She whispers.

"Would you do the honour?" she removes the pendant from its place and holds it out towards him. He nods and receives the fine chain. While he figures out the clasp and then the correct way it will be placed around her neck, she turns her back to him and with one hand sweeps her loose hair up with slender fingers to get it out of his way. He manoeuvres around her arm and then makes sure that the clasp is secure before boldly placing a chaste kiss on the back of her neck. The sensation sends a serious of shivers down her spine and she allows her hair to fall back into place.  
"Thank you." She faces him and looks into his eyes, which have shifted from a lighter almost emerald green to a darker jade. So taken by her, he is suddenly unable to form words and merely bows his head with a smile that says more than any words ever could.  
They sit in comfortable silence drinking their tea before discussing their activities during the holiday.  
"So no big bad, or ugly on the horizon for a bit?" she wonders out loud and he chuckles.  
"None that I have encountered nor read about." He replies as he sets his teacup back on the saucer on the tray.  
"That's fantastic." She sighs contently and sits back into the sofa. "I guess things will be getting back to normal then?" she smiles and turns her head to steal a glance. His expression remains soft, his mind clearly working overtime. "What's on your mind?" she inquires breaking his train of thought.  
"Oh, I was just thinking, my dear." He says and turns so that his elbow rests on the soft sofa cushions and the rest of his posture matches hers.

"What were you thinking about?" she pushes gently.  
"I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me Friday night?" the invitation felt far more natural than he had initially thought.  
"May I ask for a bit of clarification?"  
"Yes, of course."  
"Is this a dinner shared by two friends, or is it a date?" she pauses and suddenly looks down at her suddenly folded hands in her lap. "I mean, dinner between friends doesn't usually happen on a Friday night." She adds quickly. He didn't wish to scare her off— after all, he had considered their difference in age. However, he also noticed the ease of their conversations, the level of compatibility in the time they had spent together. So he decides to put the suggestion out.  
"I suppose one would consider it a date." He tilts his head and gives her a crooked smile.  
"I would love to have dinner with you." She smiles happily. "What exactly did you have in mind? I would like to be sure that I dress appropriately." Her sudden uncertainty causes him to reach out and place a comforting hand on her forearm.  
"Whatever you wear will be perfect." He says and pauses, "if it helps at all, I'll wear a suit." She laughs.

"And if you wouldn't mind keeping this between the two of us." Her voice hardly above a whisper and she can hear his soft exhale and, looking into her eyes, nods his understanding. She breathes a sigh of relief, "Returning to Watcher duty?" she asks as she notices him reluctantly glancing at his watch. He sighs and nods. Standing, he picks up the tray and carries it to the kitchen.  
"Oh, you didn't have to do that." She moves towards him and steals a quick hug. He enjoys how well she fits within his embrace. "I will think of you every time I wear it." Reminding him and kisses his cheek before walking him to the foyer. "Goodnight." He says as he turns to leave.  
"Goodnight." She happily returns and again watches him safely make his way home. Closing the door, she pauses to look at her reflection in the mirror and admires how well it suits her. He's quite the man, she thinks as she returns to the kitchen to clean up. Glancing at the coffee table, she remembers her forgotten book and decides to quickly change into her pyjamas and read for a little while. Setting herself in the overstuffed sofa with a blanket around her shoulders, she tries to concentrate on the words on the pages but finds her mind unable to stop thinking about her upcoming date and the butterflies fluttering around her stomach in search of an escape. Bed is probably the best option; she places the book beside her and shrugs the blanket off her shoulders, folds it and sets it aside before doing a quick check and turning out the lights on her way up to her bedroom.

Entering the dojo, Mackenzie's mood radiates from her and both Methos and Duncan notice her vibe.  
"Hey, guys." She says as she quickly pulls her water bottle and towel from her gym bag and sets her bag aside. "Our regular training regime?" she adds and Duncan nods his ascent.  
"What's gotten into her?" Methos nudges Duncan gently with his elbow.  
"Don't know." The tall Scot replies and removes his sweatshirt, revealing a deep navy blue tank top. They begin with their regular warm up and run through a serious of stretches.  
"Hand-to-hand, staff, or swords today?" she asks once they're stretching session is complete.  
"What do you feel you need to work on?"  
"Oh, that's not fair. You know that I'll reply EVERYTHING!" she rolls her eyes to emphasise her point.  
"Well, let's work with the staff today then." He suggests and she nods as she makes her way to a far wall to select a staff for him and one for herself.

"So how are things going between you and that Watcher?" Methos can't help but throw in a verbal jab.  
"His name is Rupert Giles." She replies not allowing him to get to her. She and Duncan assume their respective fighting stances. As her instructor, he starts setting the pace which she easily matches. Their sparring attracts the attention of others at the gym and they pause in their own training to watch. Between Duncan and Mackenzie and Giles and Buffy, anyone fortunate enough to observe their training sessions would gain a great deal of insight that many miss.  
"Square and relax your shoulders," Duncan instructs as they move into another round. "You're left shoulder is slumping." He adds and watches as she quickly corrects her posture. "That's better." And just as quickly as she has corrected her form, she sweeps his feet out from underneath him.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Methos states with his sly grin and a twinkle in his eyes. He claps as Mackenzie helps Duncan to his feet.  
"You're right, just a slight correction." She smiles and they bow, signalling the end of their sparring match. The onlookers resume their own training as Mackenzie and Duncan leave the mats to towel off some sweat and re-hydrate. Sitting on a bench Mackenzie turns her attention to Methos.  
"So, have you a hot date for the New Year?" she tilts her head.  
"Nope, flying solo to Duncan's shindig. You coming?" he cocks a brow and leans back against the wall, his jean-clad legs stretching out before him, he stares at his chocolate brown boots.  
"Not sure yet, I hope the rest of the gang can attend. I think it will be a fun night out. Get to dress all fancy, have your hair and nails done, you know?"  
"Well, not so much with the hair and nail thing, but I'm with you on the dressing up part." He crosses his arms and his expression changes slightly.

"Amanda!" Mackenzie nearly shrieks as she springs from the bench to greet her friend.  
"Kenzie, darling." The now brunette says, her raspberry painted lips, a stark contrast to her alabaster skin tone, curl into a graceful smile, mirroring her natural movement. "It's been way too long." She adds as they embrace.  
"What have you been up too? Where have you travelled? Are you staying for a while?" Mackenzie cannot help her bombardment of questions.  
"Oh my dear, I've been here and there. I met with a few old friends. Actually, I just got in from London before Christmas— I was visiting an old friend of ours." She sends a quick glance towards Duncan, whose expression says, we'll talk about that later.  
"London, that sounds amazing. I've always wanted to go to England." She says wistfully.  
"You will, once you're immortal you'll have all the time in the world." She whispers so that no one else can hear. Mackenzie's expression clouds over slightly.  
"Not in the plan Amanda. I'm looking towards as 'normal' or mundane, if you will, as I can get." She looks at the clock hanging over the entrance. "Oh! I better grab a shower. I'm meeting Uncle Joe for lunch." She quickly hugs Amanda once more. "We'll have to have some time to truly catch up."  
"Yes, of course, we will. I'll be in town for a bit."  
"Great!" Mackenzie smiles brightly as she heads towards the showers.

Emerging in her street clothes, a pair of jeans and a tank top with matching cardigan, she scoops her jacket and drapes it over one arm, while hooking her gym bag over the other.  
"See you guys later!" she calls over her shoulder as she heads out. She stops to put her bag and jacket in her SUV, then walks to the restaurant. Thank goodness, I'm on time, she muses as she enters the restaurant and sees her uncle waiting.  
"Uncle Joe." She smiles and hugs him in greeting.  
"Kenzie." He leads her towards the maitre d' to be seated. They are greeted by a tall young man with strawberry blond hair. He leads them to a table by the large window.  
"Thank you," Joe says as their menus are set in front of them.  
"Your waiter will be with you shortly." Strawberry blond turns on his heel and makes his way back to his post.

"So how are things?" he inquires while they look over the menu and Mackenzie tries to hide her massive grin as she knows that if he sees it, he will ask and she still doesn't want to share her news with anyone yet.

"Things are good. Training with Mac is going great and I've been busy getting a few assignments done, and a couple of research papers out of the way so that I will have more time to actually study. Oh! And Watcher wise, everything is going very well. Research is a really fun job." She adds with a smile.  
"I'm glad that you're enjoying your research position. Regarding school, have you considered your path?" he places the menu on the table, having decided on his entrée.  
"If all goes well, I would like to pursue a Masters." She places her menu on the table, also having decided on her entrée. Their waiter politely interrupts their conversation, introduces himself and, seeing that they have decided takes their drink and entrée orders.

"Your Masters? That's pretty heavy duty." He sits back in his seat.  
"I'm hoping to go abroad though. I think that the experience will be very rewarding, along with a change in academic philosophy will broaden my horizon. At the end of the day, I want to be a better Watcher." She leans forward, resting her forearms on the table.  
"Have you discussed this with your parents?"  
"Not as yet. I really just want to get through these four years first." She sighs as their waiter returns with their drinks, carefully setting them in front of them. As quickly as places them on the table, he informs them that their entrées will arrive momentarily.  
"Very efficient restaurant." She watches him as he makes his way to another table.  
"That's why I like it here." He replies and takes a sip of his drink.

Their meal arrives and they continue to discuss Watcher business, her studies, her training, and her extra research with Buffy and her friends. The conversation is effortless, as per the norm, and finally rests on the New Years party.  
"So are you attending Duncan's patty?" he inquires as he cuts into his stake.  
"Yes, I'm hoping that the gang will come along as well. I think it will be fun to hang out on non-end-of-the-world business." She grins and he chuckles.  
"I never imagined how many times that girl has saved the world." He says quietly so no one hears their conversation.  
"It's mind-blowing. Just this past thing with Adam and the Initiative was scary enough." She cuts the green beans and spears a couple.  
"That would have been something to see." He dabs at the corner of his mouth with the crisp serviette.

"I know, but all I am is research girl from afar."  
"He's that protective of you?" a brow raises slightly.  
"Who?" she asks innocently.  
"Giles, of course." He counters, clearly not trying to get any info out of her, just making his own observation.  
"Oh?" she glances down at her meal as if it's more interesting than the conversation. "It's field work that the rest have earned. Perhaps one day I shall be considered such an asset. I mean with the training I now have under my belt."  
"I think that because he knows your wishes, he doesn't want you running head first into something that can get you killed." She nods her agreement and the subject slips away into a new topic.

Following lunch, they walk to his bookstore.  
"I'll probably be around sometime tomorrow to study." His smile is warm, as he always enjoys having her in the shop, even if they don't speak two words to each other, and quickly wraps her in a tight hug.  
"See you then." He replies and heads inside. Mackenzie makes her way to her SUV and wonders whether or not she needs to hit the Sunnydale mall for a new dress for her date Friday night, or if she should go home first and see what's in her closet. Deciding to first raid her closet, she drives home. Checking the mail, she opens the door and with one swift movement, closes it behind her. Placing her purse on the hall table, hanging her jacket in the hall closet, she drops her gym bag on the floor beside the basement door. The mail that she holds in her hand is put on the kitchen counter for later and she rushes upstairs to decide what to wear. At least I won't be struggling tomorrow night; she muses as she opens the closet and starts to pull out her dressier dresses.

After the fifth dress, her eyes fall on a little black lace dress. She wonders if it's too much, don't want to give him a heart attack, she sets it aside. Then it nearly jumps out of the closet at her. A black simple shift dress that she can dress up with accessories. Smiling happily, she decides that the rest of the day will be dedicated to schoolwork and after setting her outfit out for the following evening, she makes her way to her office and settles herself to work on her assignments— she even manages to complete two essay drafts and what feels like a ton of research for a larger research paper. Having lost track of time, Mackenzie is pulled out of her final sentence by the ring of her cell phone. She glances at the caller ID.  
"Hey, Buffy, what's up?"  
"I'm going out on patrol and wondered if you wanted to join me?"  
"Sounds like a great idea. I need to get out of here." Mackenzie replies.  
"Catch you in a few?  
"Sure." She replies, hangs up and begins to clear her desk of any unneeded schoolwork.

Not too long after, Buffy arrives and knocks. Mackenzie quickly finishes rinsing the dishes and sprints to the door.  
"Hey Buffy" she steps aside and Buffy stands in the foyer.  
"You'll need a jacket it's a bit on the chilly side tonight."  
"Thanks for the heads up." She grabs her keys from the hook and Buffy hands her a stake. "Just in case?"  
"Yup, can't ever be too careful." The blond leads the way as Mackenzie closes and locks her door.

They walk along a route familiar to Buffy, but it's very rare that Mackenzie joins her for patrol and she carefully takes in her surroundings. It is a quiet night, no vampire activity which isn't completely unusual.  
"Want to grab a coffee or something before we do a final sweep?" Buffy inquires and Mackenzie nods her agreement and they head to the Espresso Pump. Ordering their beverages, they find a vacant table in the small establishment.  
"Are you attending Duncan's New Year's Eve party this weekend?" Buffy asks as she gently blows her hot chocolate to cool it enough to sip.  
"I think it would be a great way to spend the evening. Unless there's an end-of-the-world kind of thing going on." Mackenzie whispers.  
"Not that I know of. Giles doesn't want to jinx it, but he thinks we're good to go on partying." She smiles widely and Mackenzie grins as well.  
"Cool. So does that mean the whole gang?" she asks.  
"I'm trying to convince Giles, but he seems a bit reluctant. That's why I was asking if you were going."

Mackenzie nearly burns her lips on her hot chocolate, but thankfully Buffy doesn't seem to notice her sudden discomfort.

"Yeah, I confirmed with Duncan at training today." She blows gently on her beverage in hopes of cooling it.  
"Excellent," Buffy says no more on the topic of Giles or the New Years Eve party. Their conversation moves towards lighter topics and once they have finished their hot chocolates, they make their way out into the chilly night and head towards the second route to do a quick sweep before going home. Entering one of the older cemeteries, Buffy has a sudden sense that something isn't quite right. Funnily enough, Mackenzie also picks up on some odd vibes. They glance at each other and walk carefully. Like a moth drawn to a flame, vampires are drawn to the Slayer and a small group of vamps appear to sense Buffy and make their way towards the two girls.  
"Slayer, how kind of you to bring us a treat." One of the vampires taunts her. Mackenzie carefully assesses their situation and she quickly deduces that tonight she will fight alongside her friend.  
"A snack?" Buffy rolls her eyes and assumes her fighting stance. Mackenzie fakes ignorance of vampires. As Buffy deals with the group, a vamp tries to sneak around towards Mackenzie, who has her hand on the stake she has concealed in her jacket.

"Isn't this just perfect? The Slayer too busy to save you." The vampire taunts her, thinking that he has the upper hand. Mackenzie uses her training to await the vampire's move. Having anticipated it already, she manages to duck away and stake him. The others don't notice that they are one short, being too busy with the Slayer, Mackenzie manages to dust two more vamps and Buffy finishes with the group's leader.  
"Nice teamwork," Buffy states as she replaces her stake in an inner pocket in her leather jacket.  
"That was… Whoa!" Mackenzie's eyes are a bit wide and she suddenly feels the after effect and her body suddenly feels cold.  
"Not something you want to think about, but you do get used to it," Buffy explains and together they finish the patrol route, chatting all the way back to Mackenzie's.

"I wouldn't suggest that you go telling Giles about this," Buffy says slightly as they make their way into the courtyard.  
"I don't suppose it would be wise." She agrees and heads towards her flat. "I'll see you at the party?"  
"You bet! I can't wait to get all dressed up." Buffy smiles and they hug. Buffy watches as Mackenzie slips inside before going over to Giles' flat— she doesn't want Giles suspecting anything that would require an explanation  
"Buffy." He admits her and Buffy closes the door and proceeds past into the flat.  
"Hey, Giles." She sits herself on the comfortable sofa and waits for him to either disappear into the kitchen to prepare post patrol tea or sit in the worn leather armchair. Tonight, he chooses to sit and chat.

"How was patrol?"  
"Well, you know, not much on the action side. I got into a bit of a six-on-one situation. That's about it."  
"I don't have an explanation for that. Unless, of course. Something that we are unaware of is brewing."  
"Hey! Let's not screw around with the New Year." Buffy pouts. "You're coming to Duncan's party, by the way." She states simply.  
"I haven't decided." He replies as he sits back in the armchair.  
"Yes. You. Are. Kenzie will be there." She adds with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. He knows for sure that something is up— what, he is still unsure.  
"You do realise that I'll have to wear a tux."  
"And you look **amazing** in a tux." She smiles at the memory of prom. He blushes slightly. "I should know." She winks for emphasis.  
"I'll consider it." He replies.  
"It's this Saturday night." She pushes. "Come on Giles! There's squat on the evil front, at the moment at least, we **all** need a break! And that includes **you**." She adds. He hadn't quite considered that she would be so persuasive. Giving in, he simply nods and she springs from her seat.  
"I better be getting home. This will be **awesome**! The whole gang together having an amazing time, just like old times." She stops in front of him and pats his arm. "Thank you!" she adds and makes her way out. Giles sits back in his seat and shakes his head. That girl sometimes, he muses as he settles on a cup of tea before bed.

Mackenzie spends the majority of her day at Joe's bookstore, taking up the table in the corner beside the large plate glass window doing research for another paper. Joe sits at his desk behind the counter going over the books, invoicing, and enjoying the odd interruption from customers here and there. She lifts her head once more, checking the time. Finishing the cup of tea from the paper cup in front of her, she stands to put it in the garbage.  
"How's the research?" he asks from a book he had been reading.  
"It's going very well. I think I'll have this paper done a week ahead of time." She smiles triumphantly, "I'm going to head out." She adds as she makes her way back to the table and starts to organise her notes into a binder before slipping it into her knapsack.  
"Yeah I guess a lovely girl like yourself would have a hot date tonight?" he says innocently, expecting the same answer.  
"Right Uncle Joe! Me, my couch, and a pint of ice cream with whatever the movie of the week happens to be on." She closes her bag and plucks her jacket from the back of one of the chairs.

"You need balance in your life, my dear." Joe teases as he watches her push her arms through the sleeves of her jacket and button it up.  
"Thanks for caring." She slings her knapsack over her shoulder and makes her way towards him. Kissing his cheek and giving him a quick hug, Mackenzie makes her way out of the shop to her SUV. On the way home, she considers her evening plans. I'm nervous as hell; she joshes herself as she pulls the SUV into her parking space and gathers herself. Walking through the courtyard, she pauses briefly and allows her eyes to settle on Giles' flat. Maybe it isn't too late to cancel— she forces herself to shake the thought from her mind and makes her way to her flat. Going through the ritual of settling herself, she sits comfortably on the sofa with a cup of tea and a book— a warm blanket rests across her lap and she enjoys the gentle music in the background.

Ensuring that she has plenty of time to get ready, Mackenzie sets her book aside on the coffee table, folds the blanket setting in on the arm of the sofa, and picks up the teacup to take to the kitchen. She makes her way upstairs and the butterflies threaten to start fluttering in her stomach. Great, she muses as she sets about drawing the bath water. She steps into the tub and settles herself back to allow the water to relax her nerves. Picking up the vanilla scented body wash, she pours a bit on a soft washcloth and runs it over her body— even though it will rinse with the water, a hint will be left evenly on her body. Pulling the plug, she carefully steps out of the tub and wraps the fluffy towel around her chest and proceeds to ready herself for her date.

Date, she still finds it difficult to wrap her head around the concept— especially with Giles. Shaking any negative thoughts from her head, she tries to calm the butterflies and dress Wanting to be sure that she looks right, Mackenzie stands in front of the full-length mirror and gives herself the once over. I really wish I had told Buffy— at least she would have been able to give me advice and fashion tips. Wanting to leave a lasting impression, Mackenzie decides on the pendant Giles had given her for Christmas. With all finishing touches in place, she makes her way downstairs with a few minutes to spare. Good thing too, I wouldn't want to keep him waiting. She literally reaches the bottom step when she hears the gentle rap on the door. Checking her hair once more in the hall mirror, Mackenzie opens the door.

"Giles, you look very dapper." Her face lights up at the sight of him and all the nerves she felt throughout the day disappear. A small bouquet in hand, he holds the flower almost shyly towards her.  
"Kenzie." He pauses, "W-wow." He makes a move to embrace her gently so not to crush the flowers. He steps over the threshold and she closes the door. She quickly retreats to the kitchen to put the flowers in water while Giles retrieves her coat from the hanger, and upon her return holds it for her to easily slide her arms through the awaiting sleeves. Ever the gentleman, she thinks and allows herself to enjoy the moment.  
"Thank you." She turns in his hands and he rests them on her shoulders.  
"We had better get going if we are to make our reservation." She plucks her keys from the bowl and slips them into her purse. He opens the door for her and she steps through. Offering her his arm, she threads hers through his and they walk to his car.  
"So you still haven't given me any clue as to where we are going." She teases as he opens the passenger door for her.  
"I'd like to keep it a surprise." His grin mischievous as he closes the door and makes his way to the driver's side and sits before starting the car.  
"Okay." She smiles softly as she watches the scenery passes them by.

He parks the car and quickly exits to open her door for her.  
"Thank you." She accepts his gesture and rests her hand gently on his forearm and allows him to weave her arm through his, then closes the door. "Oh, I haven't been here yet." She laughs softly thinking of how he must have overheard her talking with Buffy and Willow about wanting to try it. He merely smiles smugly, not wanting to reveal how he had come across that little bit of information— he is, after all, a Watcher.  
"I heard that their dessert menu is deliciously sinful." He manages stating without a nervous stutter, which doesn't go unnoticed by her. Hopefully, he's, more comfortable with me now, she wonders as they enter the restaurant.

Her eyes are drawn to the style— quite modern, yet tasteful and warm at the same time. Not like other modern restaurants that feel cold and hang ink blots on the walls in various colours calling it art. The maitre d', after confirming something in their reservation book, greets them with a warm smile.  
"Monsieur Giles?" Giles nods and they are led to a quiet table tucked away from all the bustle, lending itself to allow a couple to get to know one and other, yet not too far away from the dance floor.  
"Dancing?" Mackenzie raises an eyebrow as her stomach sinks into her shoes. Giles notices the sudden stiffness in her posture.  
"Don't worry my dear; a strong partner is all one needs." He whispers in her ear, the heat of his breath sending a pleasant shiver down her spine."Oh sure, if you want feet to walk on tomorrow." She says slightly joking.

They are seated and their menus placed in front of them to peruse at their leisure. Mackenzie continues to take in the décor— rich blue walls with dark wood trim, exposed beams, and terracotta accents. The tablecloths are crisp white with their matching serviettes and navy blue table accents. Stain glass window panes help to divide the space without darkening the space any more than it already is. Candles light the tables, helping to create a romantic atmosphere. The music is soft as it serenades the patrons. Their waiter arrives, politely interrupting their conversation.  
"Good evening. My name is Evan and I will be your waiter for this evening." He pulls his notebook from the strings of his apron. "May I bring you something to drink perhaps?"  
"Water please, with lemon for the young lady. And for myself, the house white please." The waiter jots something down quickly.  
"Appetizers?" she shakes her head no.  
"Not this evening, thank you." Giles politely dismisses the waiter and they return to their conversation.

With their meals ordered, Mackenzie enjoys stories of Giles' youth, the trials of a Watcher shirking his destiny, only to accept his fate and with it, Buffy.  
"You are very lucky to have her in your life," Mackenzie comments with an effortless smile. Every gesture, touch, or time their eyes connect— she manages, despite the fact that they are in a packed restaurant, to make him feel as though they are the only ones in the room. Even when Evan returns with their entrees, Giles hardly notices the slight interruption.  
"Thank you." He manages, remembering his manners.  
"How could you possibly manage to deal with Wesley?" she inquires as she carefully cuts into her chicken.  
"I actually am not sure how I didn't kill him myself. You see, there we were no weapons with two medieval-looking vampires— swords, chainmail and all ready to take our heads. I'm not sure exactly what happened, I managed a sword and bested both. Wesley only managed to shriek like a girl." They laugh at his description.  
"I'm surprised that he made it through the Ascension in one piece." She shakes her head.

"I was quite honestly surprised to see your arrival." Giles rests his fork on his plate for a moment and carefully raises the serviette up to his lips. She looks down for a long moment.  
"Well, I wanted to be sure that everyone was okay." She manages without confessing her actual reason for her concern. He somehow manages to read the truth in her eyes and finds that he too, must look elsewhere. "I understand that you do the whole risk your neck for the sake of humanity— you're lucky if you even receive a 'thanks' for the great work." She reaches across the table for his hand and gently takes it in her own, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I think you forget that you're human." He nods his understanding and gently circles the soft flesh of her slight hand in his.

"Would you care to dance before, or after dessert?" he asks with a glint of mischief in his green eyes, which are darker in the lack of light, they are a hazel shade, which is slowly deepening to hunter green. Mackenzie mock chews her bottom lip in thought.  
"Well, there isn't much choice. Embarrass myself prior or following a delectable, sinful, pleasurable dessert?" she pauses, "that's truly a tough one." She continues to stall. "Are you sure you want to be able to walk tomorrow?" she teases.  
"You're not getting out of this." His smile infectious, "besides, we both know how quickly you pick up the routines for your training." She nods, seeing exactly where he is going with his reasoning.  
"You want me to apply the same discipline that I use to learn a new fighting style to dance?" he nods and she tilts her head understanding his logic, but still unconvinced that it is actually applicable to something such as dance.

"If you step on my toes, you step on my toes. I promise I won't hold that against you." she gulps as he stands and holds out a hand towards her. She doesn't take but a moment to quietly sigh and placing her serviette on the chair, she accepts his hand and he sweeps her towards the dance floor. In no way did she feel awkward in his arms— in fact, she has a sense of comfort in his embrace, as if he were protecting her somehow. They enjoy a few dances and she lifts her eyes to meet his and she enjoys the expression that caresses his features, a softness that she wonders if anyone has been privy to before. Once the last notes resonate, he guides her off the floor to return to their table and peruse the desert menu.  
"I have to say Giles that I don't think that I can indulge in anymore." She picks up the menu and reads through some of the names and description of the desserts to choose from.

Evan returns to their table to see if he may be of further assistance.  
"I think coffees and a crème burley with two spoons?" he glances towards her and she gives in with a nod.  
"That's an excellent choice sir, and our specialty." Evan accepts their menus and makes his way through the crowded restaurant.  
"Are you sure more food is necessary?" Mackenzie grins wickedly and he chuckles.  
"Perhaps more dancing once we've tried our desert?" he suggests and she slowly nods her agreement. Evan sets the desert between them and places the coffees on the table with the needed additions— cream, milk, sugar and sweeteners.

Together, they greatly enjoy their coffees and dessert. Once most of the delicious treat is consumed, Giles gestures for another turn on the dance floor and this time Mackenzie happily takes his hand and allows him to lead her once more. Their time together is comfortable. The dancing to Mackenzie's surprise feels effortless, as though they were meant to be partners. She feels his hand as it gently rests on her lower back, and she allows her head to gently rest upon his chest over his heart, she listens to the steadiness of the rhythm to the music playing. Lifting her head, she looks up at the gentle, happy expression on his face.  
"What is it?" he interrupts her silent musing.  
"This is just so wonderfully, dare I say, perfect." Her eyes meet his and in that moment no words are necessary to communicate.

Both felt the pull of the end of their date and once the last song finished, they make their way from the dance floor to the table, where Evan happens to arrive.  
"Is there anything else that I may bring you this evening?" Giles glances towards Mackenzie and she gently shakes her head no.  
"I think we shall call it an evening." Giles gestures for the cheque and Evan disappears once more.  
"Giles, this has been so amazing." She reaches across the table for his hands and intertwines her slender fingers within his— they both can feel the sparks they share and enjoy the sensations. Once Evan returns and the cheque paid, Giles and Mackenzie exit the restaurant into the chilly night.

Arriving at her doorstep, Giles remains the gentleman.  
"Mackenzie, I have had a wonderful evening."  
"I absolutely agree." Her smile widens. "Thank you so very much for reminding me that someone like you does exist." She decides to toss away conventions and hopes that her boldness doesn't cost her. Taking a step forward, invading his space, she reaches up a hand to his face and caresses his cheek, coaxing his face down towards her own. She then ever so gently presses her lips to his in a chaste goodnight kiss. While Giles finds himself slightly surprised, he allows himself the luxury of responding to the kiss and when they part, rests his forehead tenderly against hers.  
"Goodnight Mackenzie." Giles almost whispers her name.  
"Goodnight." She replies as they slowly part. He caresses her face gently with callused fingers before slowly turning to return to his flat.

Still feeling her lips upon his, he closes his door and allows the evening to replay in his mind. Their date had actually exceeded any of his expectations— thankfully there had been no interruptions. And the perfect kiss to end a perfect night. As he makes his way up to his bedroom, he loosens his tie and removes his suit jacket, along with his trousers to hang in the armour. Standing in his dress shirt and socks, he pads over to a chair in the corner of the room where his pyjamas sit folded neatly. With a content sigh, he picks them up and heads to the bathroom to prepare for what he feels will be a blissful sleep. Mackenzie; however, finds herself hopelessly giddy to the point of sleep refusing her.

Walking into her office, Mackenzie sets about researching Methos once more. She hasn't reported anything of significance to the Council, yet they feel that she is Adam's best chance at 'breaking the case', she almost laughs out loud while opening another journal. The entries in this volume are written in his own short-hand, which Mackenzie, on more than one occasion, had talked to him about. She had realised that it was a mixture of Sumerian with the language of whatever region he happened in at the time. So long as she never revealed his true identity, Methos had no trouble letting her help him hide himself from the Watchers Council. In fact, the more she learned of the mysterious Methos, the more curious his behaviour, and point of view of the world become.

 _I cannot stand another moment of this place. Constant dust swirls around us as we ride across the desert. My brothers—Kronos, Silas, and Caspian ride beside me, killing, pillaging, and raping our journey through Mongolia west towards Turkey. We sweep into yet another desolate camp, women to be had, made our personal slaves while their men and children are murdered. We shall feast and move on until we reach or destination— where that is exactly, feels as unknown as our next camp or village._

 _Tonight I seek the refuge in the arms of a young woman, who has yet to learn her true significance within the world. What her death shall reveal. She will as we are, immortal and powerful beyond all reason— we take what we need from these weak, useless mortals. We feast tonight on blood and women, yet my appetite for the next battle still courses through my veins. This woman shall travel with us. I shan't let my brothers touch a hair upon her head._

 _Our introduction is brief; she is brought to the tent I procure and deem mine with her handmaiden by my brothers, Kronos and Caspian. They argue about who may take her first and I silence them with my power and sword to both leave my tent and her with me. They take her handmaiden, not that I care and she and I are better acquainted. Her name, not that it truly matters to me, is Cassandra— a name as wild and as untamed as her very being. I shall enjoy this night._

Mackenzie's head swims in the violence that has been Methos' life and truly realises how far he has evolved in his world view. As of later journals, she has managed to record at the very least, sixty nearly seventy marriages. She also notes the change in tone from his earlier journals to the later years. Writing in a journal of her own, she scribbles a few notes, reoccurring themes, places, and adding to a vast cast of people he has encountered. Ask Methos about Cassandra, and the four horseman— which was he? As she writes, her eyes begin to feel heavy, and she finally gives in. She carefully sets the journal aside and as she stands turns out the lamp beside the armchair she had been sitting in. Once her teeth are brushed, she makes her way back into her bedroom to climb into bed.  
Saturday morning sunshine lightly filters in through the sheers onto Mackenzie's face and she stirs. Duncan's New Years Eve party, she smiles to herself and recalls the day the gang has planned—to a tee, from hanging out, to getting all dolled up to go. What a wonderful day, she sits up and stretches her arms over her head, the covers pooling around her waist, she swings her long legs over the edge of the bed and slips her feet into her slippers. Heading out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of casual slacks, a lacy tank top under a crisp Oxford white shirt— she just catches the phone.

"Hello?" she answers slightly out of breath.  
"Good morning my dear, did you sleep well?" Giles' voice has an interesting change in tone and she almost giggles.  
"Hey Giles, I finally got some sleep. I got into the journals last night." She replies honestly. "That and just before going to sleep I had thought perhaps I had already been dreaming." She adds, she can hear his gently laugh on the other end and can picture his expression.  
"Have you spoken to Buffy this morning?" he inquires innocently.  
"Actually I haven't. The gang should be on their way over. We're having brunch this morning. Did she not invite you? I remember that you said you were unable to attend the party, but I thought she would have at least mentioned brunch."  
"I think it slipped her mind when I agreed to join in the festivities."

She could feel her heartbeat increase.  
"Really?" she asks, and he can hear a bit of shock in her tone.  
"And here I thought it would be Buffy to let the cat out of the bag."  
"That's wonderful!" she exclaims happily. "Why don't you join us for brunch than, spend the day with us, and you and Xander can change over at your flat."  
"That sounds like a plan. Is Xander driving as well?"  
"I think so. I was going to drive Buffy and he was going to pickup Anya, Willow, and Tara."  
"Well then. I'll be over shortly." She can hear the smile in his voice and once she cradles the receiver, she heads to the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea for Giles and herself while they wait for the gang to arrive.

Sitting comfortably on the sofa, Giles and Mackenzie quietly chat about their date and discuss their status.  
"You will eventually want to share the news with your friends I'm sure." Giles says as he sets the teacup on its matching saucer. As she nods, she bites her lower lips nervously. He reaches out and caresses her cheek gently— she leans into his touch and steals a quick kiss.  
"Why not wait a little bit?" she reasons. "I want to enjoy 'us' for a little while longer."  
"That might prove a bit difficult this evening." He tilts his head to the side before removing his glasses and retrieving a handkerchief from his pocket to polish them.  
"Mr. Giles! Are you going to tell me that you're actually more affectionate in public than I first thought?" he replaces his glasses and grins. She cocks a brow as the doorbell rings loudly.

Mackenzie opens the door and the gang files in.  
"I tried to reach Giles." Buffy stops dead in her tracks, Willow nearly walking right into her. "You're here!" her expression priceless and the Watcher enjoys her sudden shock and confusion.  
"I happened to call Kenzie this morning and she invited me along for New Years brunch."  
"And here I thought I'd have to twist your arm." Buffy's expression remains confused. The rest of the gang appear to miss the glances between Watcher and Slayer. "Whoa." Is all she can manage.  
"So are we on our way or what?" Xander says as his stomach growls loudly. "I haven't eaten since last night." He adds and they all laugh.  
"Yes, of course. Just let me tidy this up and I'll get my coat." Mackenzie collects their teacups and heads into the kitchen to rinse them and place them in the dishwasher. Giles finds it difficult not to retrieve and hold out her coat for her and she sees a twinge of worry on his handsome features. Soon, she mouths as she picks up her keys and purse, they all head out. Deciding to walk to the main street, they arrive at the restaurant. A mom and pop diner where they serve all-day breakfast and pretty much anything else you could want.

A waitress notices them enter.  
"Anywhere you'd like. I'll be by with menus in a moment." She says loudly with a smile and they find a booth large enough to accommodate their group. Xander and Anya sit together on one side with Willow and Tara— leaving Giles, Buffy and Mackenzie to sit across from them. The waitress arrives with their menus.  
"Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?" she asks while grabbing her pen from behind her ear and her notepad from the front pocket of her apron.  
"Could you bring us water to start please?" Buffy smiles and the waitress walks towards the kitchen.

"This looks good." Xander points something out to Anya, who nods in agreement. "We can share it." He adds and she nudges him in the ribs.  
"As if Xander! The way your stomach is growling, you'll need that just for your left leg." They all laugh. Willow and Tara have their heads bowed over their menu discussing their choices quietly. Buffy watches her friends closely and then sneaks a sideway glance of Mackenzie and Giles, who appear to be looking over their own menus without sharing a word. Odd, she thinks to herself while deciding on her own meal. What she's missing is Mackenzie's thigh pressed against Giles'. The waitress returns with their waters and then takes their orders.

While they wait for their orders, they discuss the upcoming party.  
"This is going to be such a wonderful night!" Willow states excitedly. Tara nods and they hold each others hands, their fingers intertwined. Xander and Anya happily agree as well.  
"I cannot believe there is not a big bad in sight." Buffy says quietly enough so that no one else hears them. "We get a 'normal' night to have fun." She pauses, "this will be even better than prom!" they all nod in agreement, recalling Buffy having to deal with the hellhounds.  
"You'll all enjoy this party." Mackenzie says happily. "When my brother and I were old enough, our parents would take us to Duncan's parties. His parties are reminiscent from times past." She smiles. "Wish my parents were her too, they would definitely enjoy it." She rests her forearms on the table and folds her hands in front of her.

"Are our dresses fancy enough?" Tara inquires nervously.  
"Yes, of course." Mackenzie smiles to reassure them that everything will be just fine. "I can't wait to see Xander in a tux."  
"He's very handsome. And **mine**!" Anya says kissing his check. Mackenzie sighs at the ease of her friend's public display of affections and wishes that she could share her news with them. But she doesn't want to change the group dynamics and is still unsure if they will accept Giles' choice in her as a potential significant other. Shoving the thoughts from her mind, the waitress returns with their meals.  
"I'll be right back with your orange juices, teas and coffees. Is there anything else you need? Ketchup? Jam?" she adds smiling as Xander, with his mouth full nods for both. "Okay." She turns on her heels and is gone once more.

"So we'll hang at your place this afternoon?" Willow confirms their plans. Mackenzie nods.  
"The boys will dress over at Giles' and we'll get all dolled up at my place." Mackenzie scrapes a bit of butter onto her pancakes before adding some sugar-free syrup.  
"Make sure you have corsages." Anya says glaring at Xander. "You did remember, right?" he nods his 'yes dear' and continues to cut into a piece of bacon.  
"You did get enough for all of us girls **right**?" he can only nod again, his mouth full once more.

With their plans for the day finalised, they finish their meals and pay before making their way back to Mackenzie's.  
"I can't believe it's going to be a new year." Tara says as they setup themselves around the coffee table to play games.  
"It's pretty amazing that we've made it through as well as we have." Buffy states from the kitchen, as she mulls about for a glass to fill with water. "Does anyone need anything?" she asks happily.  
"Nope!" the chorus answers and she finds a seat on the floor. They enjoy the afternoon of card games and board games with a movie on in the background. Even Giles is having an enjoyable afternoon sitting beside Mackenzie, every once in a while, their hands accidently touch, or her knee brushes his thigh. The others, he realises are oblivious to their flirtations.

As the time draws closer to the party, Xander and Giles pull themselves from the fun and head over to Giles' flat to shower, shave, and dress. The girls smile as they leave and make their way upstairs to get ready as well. Four girls and two bathrooms wasn't as difficult as they had initially thought. Quick showers would be the key. That way there would be enough hot water, and then they would all be able to help each other with styling their hair and applying makeup. Buffy stands and stares at herself in the full-length mirror, her ruby red strappy, deep V-back dress hugging her body in the right places. She smiles to herself, hoping that this year will indeed be different from the last— to a better year, she silently muses.

Emerging from the guest bedroom, Tara enters the master and twirls around in a pink chiffon dress, butterfly wing sleeves and a burgundy front lace-up bodice and trim and Willow wears a burgundy velvet dress with a lace-up bodice in an array of pinkish and red hues. Anya smiles brightly as she enters the room wearing an emerald halter dress with a delicate gold trim throughout, extenuating her trim figure. Mackenzie is just as radiant as her friends in a sapphire strapless form-fitting draped gown with silver trim and a white faux-fur bolero to keep her shoulders warm.  
"Giles is going to have a heart attack." Buffy whispers quietly to her, once the others have left the room to wait for the men downstairs. Mackenzie freezes in her tracks. "Come on Kenzie! Haven't you seen the way he looks at you? You'd have to be blind not to know that he's smitten with you." She adds with a smile, her light pink lips shimmering in the soft light. "You'll knock his socks off tonight." She orders her friend.

Buffy leads her downstairs, hoping to reveal her to Giles herself— lucky for her, the men are indeed downstairs complimenting her friends. Giles' eyes turn towards Buffy and he nods his approval of her choice with a soft smile. She mouths 'thank you'. But she is quite right— when his eyes rest upon Mackenzie, he doesn't even realise that he's holding his breath. She can feel the blush work its way up her body right from her toes. The rest of the group finally notices their silent conversation. Xander moves towards Giles with a corsage and hands it to him to present to Mackenzie. The moment is like a spell's been cast and he accepts the corsage. Mackenzie stands in front of him and he gestures for her to hold her hand out towards him and he carefully places the dainty flower upon her wrist and with nimble fingers ties the satin ribbon around her slender wrist.  
"Thank you Giles." She says in a hushed tone.

Xander helps Anya and Buffy with theirs as Willow and Tara exchange their own corsages.  
"Ladies, shall we?" Xander announces as he gallantly opens the front door and the group, having gotten their coats and purses, file out. Once the door is closed and locked, Xander threads Anya's arm through his while Tara and Willow do the same and Giles, between Buffy and Mackenzie bring up the rear. Getting into their respective cars, they agree to meet at the hotel.  
"This is going to be so much **fun**! Buffy exclaims from the backseat of Mackenzie's SUV. "Have you ever heard that the person you spend New Year's with, is the person you're meant to be with?" she adds with a smile. Mackenzie sighs, trying to ignore Buffy's teasing, but Giles isn't as successful.  
"Where on earth would you hear such a thing?"  
"Oh, it was in one of the magazines." She replies simply.

When they arrive, the party is in full swing. Duncan has rented one of the ballrooms and if Mackenzie were a betting girl, Amanda organised and hired the staff to decorate the space and more than likely had a hand in the food as well—as there was a three course meal and massive dessert buffet to close the evening. As Mackenzie and Buffy proudly link arms with Giles and follow Xander, Anya, Willow, and Tara her expression brightens. The colour scheme for the evening is deep royal blue and shimmering silver. The space has beautiful planters with ornaments and lights adorning them strategically placed throughout the space and the large windows are draped in luscious material.  
"Anya is speechless?" Buffy whispers, "That **has** to be a first." Giles chuckles lightly and Mackenzie even laughs a bit. She suddenly freezes in place.  
"What is it dear?" Giles inquires as Buffy unlinks her arm and heads towards the grand windows with her friends.

"My parents are here." She replies.  
"Is that a bad thing?" he inquires as he strokes her arm in a reassuring manner.  
"No, it's just a surprise. I cannot believe that my mom didn't tell me. I would have had them stay overnight at my place. Oh, there's Jason!" she adds as they make their way towards a server and Giles gracefully plucks two crystal goblets from the silver tray. "I am going to have to introduce you to them, but." She pauses.  
"We're friends." He supplies warmly, not wanting her to tip her hand so soon in a relationship that has hardly had the opportunity to truly blossom, despite the obvious amount of time they have spent together— even while in relationships with others. Her mother spots them first and she smiles as she notices her drag her father and brother towards her.

"Kenzie!" her mother gives her an approving smile after obviously giving her the once over.  
"Mom!" Giles quickly takes the goblet from her and carefully deposits them on a silver tray of a passing server, and she embraces her mother, her father, and then her brother. "This is Rupert Giles. Giles, my mother Janelle, and father Anthony Lamont." She introduces him to her family. Her father shakes his hand, then her brother, and her mother steps forward— he politely takes her hand and brushes a soft kiss on her knuckles. "And this is my brother. Jason." They also shake hands with the introduction.  
"So this is the gentleman from across the way, is it?" her father's tone is one of protection and Giles immediately picks up on it.  
"Yes, he's Buffy's Watcher." She says quietly. Her parents are quiet about their observations. Jason; however, misses their knowing exchange.  
"You're the guy she keeps talking about then?" he leans towards Giles. "Hurt her, and I'll hurt you." He whispers quietly, as he has to any male to come in contact with is sister; and Giles nods his understanding.

Mackenzie strains her neck to see if she can pick out Duncan from the crowd, but there is such a thick sea of people.  
"Duncan is here right?" she asks, hoping to change the subject.  
"We saw him a little while ago sweetie. I think Amanda has us sitting with you and your friends." Her father says with a smile. Oh great! She muses as she takes Giles' arm and excuses herself, pulling him with her. Unable to find Duncan, he actually finds them.  
"Kenzie, you look amazing!" he says as they exchange a quick embrace and he kisses her cheek. "You're a lucky man there Giles to land such a companion for the evening." He adds with a grin. She hadn't discussed her relationship status with anyone, yet they all appear to know exactly what is going on in her love life.  
"Duncan?" she looks at him with a questioning gaze, just as Methos makes his entrance.

"My, my, is that my Kenzie?" Methos sweeps towards her and pulls her into an embrace. "And Giles so good to finally meet you, chap— Kenzie here has done a splendid job at hiding you from us." He adds extending his hand to shake hands. Giles accepts his gesture and they engage in comfortable conversation, which Joe also politely weaves himself into. Easily introducing himself to Giles and enjoys their conversation. Amanda on the other hand has made her way to their group and introduces herself to Giles in her usual sultry manner— even as a brunette, Mackenzie notices the ease in which Amanda oozes sex appeal. Giles; however, thankfully isn't drawn in the same way other men have been in the past. As the party continues the host gestures that they move into the dining section so that the stage can be setup of the evenings' entertainment.

"You are going to **love** it!" Amanda says happily as they all head towards the other room to be seated at their tables. The colour scheme for the décor is the same as the ballroom— crisp white table cloths and serviettes, candles standing proudly in shining silver candelabras; and the luscious navy blue in the slip covers over the chairs, some of the candles and again between the numerous windows. Taking their seats, Giles sits happily between Buffy and Mackenzie, Xander sets himself beside Buffy with Anya next to him, Willow then Tara, her parents and brother. At the table beside theirs sits Duncan, Amanda, Methos, and a few Watchers from the Council, which Mackenzie surmises this evening isn't an entirely a social call— perhaps they were checking up on the North American branch of the business. James Horton sits smugly beside her uncle and her skin nearly crawls when her eyes meet his.  
"Is everything okay, my dear?" Giles whispers quietly into her ear. She rolls her eyes as she tilts her head towards his ear to whisper.  
"Just the Watchers Council and that's never a good thing." She replies just as quietly, "and the guy sitting beside my uncle is **not** my favourite person." She adds as a waiter brings them the first course.

They enjoy their meal and the conversation around the table is animated and comfortable. Mackenzie enjoys having the opportunity to spend more time with her family as well as her friends— quite surprised by their easy acceptance of Giles, despite her wish to keep it private for a while. Once the final course is served, she watches as people begin to make their way to the ballroom as the sound of instruments being tuned for the evening's live performance floats through the air. Wow, live music she smiles at the memory of her date the previous evening with Giles and dancing— entwined safely within his embrace. She hopes that she has the opportunity to dance with him once more. Watching her parents make their way towards the ballroom with Jason not far behind, she gracefully pushes her chair back and stands.  
"I need a bit of air." She says quietly to Giles with a hand on his shoulder before venturing out onto the flag stone terrace. The night air is nippy as it caresses her face and she takes a deep breath of the amazingly fragrant air.

She glances beyond the thick stone railing towards the gardens. They will no doubt be beautiful by daylight. Forgetting for a moment that she is in a public place and out alone at night, she lets herself enjoy the solitude of the moment, before sensing someone behind her. Ready to deal with a vampire should the need arise, she suddenly catches his familiar scent floating in the air and allows herself to relax. She sees his hands rest on the railing either side of her, his onyx pinkie ring confirming his identity. She sighs quietly and allows herself to lean back into the warmth of his body. One of his hands leaves the railing and rests upon her hip.  
"My parents." She can barely utter as his lips gently caress the nape of her neck and his breath warm against her skin. "What about the gang?" she adds as she turns to look at him.  
"I have a sneaking suspicion that they already know about us. Most likely long before we did" He reaches up to cup her face in his hand.  
"That thought has crossed my mind as well." She confesses and he holds his hand for her to take and pulls her into him to sway to the music that has escapes the grand ballroom through open French doors. She rests her head on his chest over his heart and is comforted by the steadiness of his heart rate.  
"If they disapproved I think they would have let their objections be known by now." He reluctantly parts from her and pulls her back inside to join the party.  
"This really is going to be the best New Years I've ever had." She whispers into his ear as Xander approaches them.  
"There you are! This really is quite the party Kenzie. I didn't realise that you knew so many cool people. Other than **us** of course." He winks at her with a wide grin.  
"Oh, thanks Xander." She replies, rolling her eyes for emphasis.

Her expression changes as the rest of the gang make their way towards them.  
"It's almost midnight. I thought it would be cool for all of us to be together when the countdown is complete." Willow says happily, and they all realise she probably has partaken in a bit of bubbly, which clearly has gone to her head.  
"That's an excellent idea." Mackenzie says in agreement as they find a place to wait for the countdown. Her parents also joins the group along with her brother; and then they are joined by Amanda, Duncan, Joe and Methos.  
"What better way to ring in the New Year!" Amanda's excited tone causes smiles as the wait staff, bring party hats and sound makers to the group. Thank you's are exchanged while they receive their noise favours. Then everyone's attention is drawn to the stage as the screens blink the countdown.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1.. **HAPPY NEW YEAR!** " everyone in the ballroom shout at the top of their lungs while making as much noise as possible with their noise maker. The group grab each other in a large group embrace and then the couples take a moment to bring in the New Year with hugs and kisses. Mackenzie steps aside and gives Buffy and Giles a moment, while quickly embracing her family and extended family. Returning to Giles' side she tosses any and all thoughts of doubt aside and lifts her chin up towards him and they share their first kiss of the year. They are completely unaware of the eyes on them as their kiss is, not only a public display of their relationship, but also of an unspoken promise being shared between the two of them.

"I knew it!" Jason exclaims with a wide grin on his face. "How come you didn't just go for it last year?" he demands that his sister fess up.  
"Because we were in different places." she replies simply. "Matt, if you recall?"  
"Oh right that moron!" he rolls his eyes and mock punches her arm, "I nearly forgot about him. But all those nights researching with Giles and you didn't once think that maybe he felt for you what you were feeling for him?"  
"That long ago?" Giles places a hand on Mackenzie's shoulder and she tilts her head.  
"Oh Mr. Giles, you have **no** idea." Jason teases.  
"Now you see why I wanted just a moment before telling them?" she turns her face to look at him. He nods with his customary chuckle and holds out his hand in a request for a dance. She accepts his hand and he leads her to the dance floor, sweeping her into his embrace. She enjoys the feeling of safety in his strong arms gently holding her. The gang watch for a moment before joining them on the dance floor to dance the rest of the night away.

"Xander are you sure you don't mind?" Buffy says when he suggests that she go home with them.  
"I wouldn't dare suggest it, if I didn't mean it." He replies, with a wink towards Giles. Mackenzie turns away from their debate to speak with her mother and father.  
"Mom, why didn't you tell me you were coming?"  
"It was a last minute thing dear. And well, I knew how busy you were with school, research, and translating the Methos Chronicles." Her father stated quickly.  
"It's just that you could have stayed at my place." She pouts slightly. "We could have had some extra time together." She pouts slightly.  
"The hotel is just fine." Her mother assures her. "Besides, we have a business brunch tomorrow and we would miss you for goodbyes I'm sure." She adds and Mackenzie groans at the thought of her parents having to endure a meeting with Horton.  
"What could he want anyways?" she inquires turning her attention to an animated conversation Horton and her uncle are engaged in.

Her mother sighs.  
"Just progress reports and whatnot dear, stuff that he likes to keep in order through meeting quarterly." Her mother rolls her eyes. "When you achieve your full potential, you will be the one meeting with him." Mackenzie cocks a brow.  
"Seriously? I can hardly stand him on a good day." She turns to go, but stops suddenly. "Are you okay with..."  
"Rupert?" Mackenzie nods.  
"While I don't suppose he would be our first choice for you. I see an interesting fit dear. Your father and I are happy for you. Your brother; however, follows through on his promises." She warns and Mackenzie laughs at the thought of her brother's earlier threat.  
"Mother, you needn't worry. I know that Giles would never hurt me intentionally, Adam on the other hand is the one I would have worried about." She winks and her mother laughs at the thought.  
"I think you would be right dear." She says as Mackenzie walks her back to where her father and Giles are deep in conversation.

Mackenzie only hopes that the conversation isn't her father threatening to do horrible things to Giles— its' bad enough her brother feels the need to keep her well-beyond safe when it comes to the male population.  
"Kenzie, we were just." Her father fumbles for the words.  
"Don't worry dad, I'm not worried." She smiles brightly, the light dances in her hazel eyes.  
"Xander has taken all the girls home." Giles says as her mother whisks her father away for another dance round the bustling dance floor.  
"Oh, I know they said their goodbyes, but I didn't realise they had left." She replies and takes his hand in hers— she loves how easily her hand fits with his. He moves her so that they can watch her parents dance. He stands behind her, wrapping his arms around her protectively, she leans back into his embrace with a content sigh.

"Are you ready to go home?" Giles whispers in her ear, the gentle heat of his breath on her ear sends a pleasant shiver down her spine. She nods as she turns around in his arms.  
"Would you mind driving?" she gracefully stifles a yawn, he can tell she's done that many times before.  
"Yes of course." He replies and they find her family. Finding them, they speak briefly.  
"Goodnight." Mackenzie says hugging her parents and brother. Giles shakes their hands once more.  
"It was a pleasure meeting you."  
"We look forward to seeing you again." Janelle says. Mackenzie smiles and pulls Giles away to find Duncan and thank him for inviting them to the party.  
"I just wanted to thank you." Mackenzie says hugging her mentor, "goodnight." She adds. Duncan and Giles shake hands and bid each other a pleasant evening, with a promise to meet for other social events.  
"Kenzie!" Amanda nearly ploughs into her. "We **have** to have a girl's day out." She says as she embraces her friend. Methos has also manages to inject himself into the goodbyes.

On their way out, they find Joe and also wish him a goodnight. Once outside, Mackenzie takes a deep breath.  
"Are you all right my dear?" Giles asks as he cups her elbow and then threads her arm through his, she nods, and he leads her to the SUV. Opening the door for her, he assists her to be sure that she doesn't rip her dress attempting to climb in.  
"Thank you." She holds onto his arm for a moment and looks into his eyes. "You've always been so good to me— even before our first date." She adds and cups his cheek gently to bring his lips to hers in a tender kiss. He blushes slightly as he closes the door and jaunts round to the driver's side and climbs in before starting the ignition.  
"Thanks for driving us home Giles." She says quietly as she turns on the radio and flips through for something soft to listen to on their way home.

He parks the SUV and she doesn't give him the chance to assist her getting out, she's already on her feet by the time he makes it round to her side. He gives her a look and she grins, but accepts his arm and together they walk into the courtyard. Walking her to her door, Giles hands her back her keys, she unlocks the bolt and opens the door.  
"Goodnight my dear." He says gently as she turns to lean into him and steals another kiss.  
"Goodnight." She replies as he lowers his heard towards hers and they kiss once more. Not wanting the evening to end, he presses his forehead against hers. She senses the energy between them and finally steps back to break the spell.  
"We'll talk soon." He says and without thought grabs one last kiss before making his way across the courtyard to his flat. Breathless, Mackenzie stands frozen, leaning against the doorframe for support, she watches as he quickly opens his door and waves before closing it tightly behind.

She can still feel his lips pressed against hers and grins like a silly school girl before finally finding her legs, she closes and bolts her door and sighs loudly to the empty space. Removing her shoes and coat, Mackenzie makes her way through her home turning out the lights on her way upstairs to bed. She manages to slip out of her dress and works the material down her body— it pools for a nanosecond on the floor while she steps out of it, sweeps it up and places it on a hanger to take to the dry cleaners. To forgo pyjamas and evening ritual, she wonders for a moment- the bed calling her name, but decides to head to the bathroom to wash the makeup off her face, brush her teeth and put on her pyjamas. Turning out the light, she pads over to her bed and climbs under the blankets, she closes her eyes as she falls asleep replaying the evening in her mind.

The first week back to school is a blur to Mackenzie as she makes several academic advising appointments with respect to graduate studies. Entering the office, Mackenzie makes her way towards the reception desk. The student behind the desk, turns from his computer and looks up at her.  
"May I help you?"  
"Yes, my name is Mackenzie Lamont, I have a three o'clock appointment with an advisor." She clarifies and he checks the appointment sheet and places a checkmark in pencil beside her name.  
"If you could have a seat, the advisor will be with you shortly." He says with a smile and she nods before making her way to a vacant seat where she sits and pulls a book from her knapsack to read while she waits. She actually is surprised that she doesn't have to wait very long as an advisor emerges from the offices.  
"Mackenzie Lamont?" her voice is quiet and Mackenzie closes her book and makes her way towards the advisor. "Please come in." she follows her beyond the front desk to an office where the advisor closes the door and sits behind her desk.

"I've reviewed your file and I must say that I am impressed with your grades and the course load that you have undertaken." She sits back in her seat. Mackenzie takes a moment before speaking.  
"Well, I have been considering graduate studies and would like to know if I am able to apply early. I believe that I have fulfilled my courses through taking classes throughout the summer." She sits straight in her seat and waits for the advisor to check something on the computer. Pausing in her examination of Mackenzie's file, her expression is one that Mackenzie is unsure of. She waits patiently for some sign that she can get out of her undergrad a year early.  
"Usually we do not recommend that a student fast track, as this is your request?" Mackenzie merely nods and mentally crosses her fingers, hoping for a positive response.

"I honestly don't see why not. Deadlines are creeping up though. Have you considered where you may be applying?"  
"Yes, of course. SC Sunnydale, Oxford and Cambridge. I have a few more to consider, which will ultimately be affected by my future career path. But those are the three I am in favour of.  
"Your career situation?" her eyebrows raise nearly into her hairline.  
"Yes, I already have a research position with an organisation that has specific academic requirements." She explains as vaguely as possible. The advisor nods as if she understands what Mackenzie has said and smiles.  
"Thank you for your help. I will move forward with the application process then.  
"Good luck Mackenzie." The advisor smiles again and she stands to lead Mackenzie out of the maze to the reception area. "There are, should you need them, resources to assist you with the process. What to expect, time frames, and answers to any questions that you may have during the process."  
"Thanks again." She smiles brightly and makes her way out of the office towards the campus coffee shop to meet Willow and Tara.

"Are you serious? You and Giles just get all snugly and here you want to get as far away from him as possible?" Willow says, her eyes wide.  
"No, I don't. I can't ask him to follow me in my choices. He's Buffy's Watcher." She whispers. "I could never interfere with their relationship." She adds before taking a bite of the chocolate biscotti.  
"But still. A whole year away?" Willow pouts. "Never mind Giles, we'll miss you." She adds and reaches across the table to take hold of her arm.  
"I'll miss you guys too, but, at the end of the day I have to consider what's best."  
"You'll break Mr. Giles' heart." Tara's eyes show her emotion just as much as Willow's.  
"I can stay here at SC Sunnydale." She tilts her head, "it's just that I have to find out if the Watchers Council will allow me to. I may have to go away to study out of principal. I may even have to go to Paris." She sighs at the thought.

"Hey guys, why so glum looking Willow?" Buffy asks as she takes the vacant seat and sets her mocha latté in front of her, playing with the ceramic handle with slender fingers.  
"Mackenzie's going away." Willow states.  
"Huh?" Buffy's quizzical expression causes Mackenzie to laugh.  
"I'm only going to be away for a year while I attend graduate school." She fills Buffy in on her plan. "I'm applying for early admission to the Masters program." She says happily.  
"What about **Giles**?! What about **us**?!" she demands.  
"Giles belongs to you Buffy. I can't force him to leave you. What with all the big bad evil around?" she rests her forearms on the table and caresses her ceramic mug gently with her hands.  
"Oh **no**! You can't!" she pauses, "you don't realise how perfect for each other you are. He's **never** been as happy as he has been when he's with you." Buffy easily joins Willow's cause to keep her in Sunnydale.

"You're going to have to tell him." She states coldly. Mackenzie hadn't anticipated the reaction from her friends.  
"Buffy, Willow, Tara— I love Giles."  
"Have you told him as much?" Buffy sits back and crosses her arms protectively around her torso.  
"I haven't said the words as yet. Our relationship, granted that we've known each other for quite some time, is still new and I don't want to jinx it." She explains to the best of her ability without breaking down— tears threaten to fall and she turns away for a moment to collect herself. "Okay, I'll talk to him this afternoon." She manages.  
"Good, because he's on his way over now." Buffy states as she waves him over to their table. Mackenzie wishes she had class, that she could disappear.  
"Buffy, please. Let me tell him." She pleads and the others nod as he pauses. "In my own time. In my own way."

"I have to get to class." Buffy announces, "Giles, take my seat." She offers it to him.  
"We should get going too." Willow pipes in. "We have seminar." She adds and they stand, collecting their bags.  
"Giles, we're training later right?" Buffy inquires and he nods his response. "Bye." She adds over her shoulder and nearly runs to catch up with Tara and Willow. Mackenzie sits silently for a long moment lost in thought.  
"Kenzie, what is it?" he reaches across the table for her hand.  
"You may not want to ever speak to me again." She states and looks down at their entangled fingers.  
"Whatever it is, we'll find a solution." He reaches his other hand across the table and caresses her cheek.  
"I'm going to apply for early admission to graduate studies." She blurts out easily enough.  
"That's wonderful my dear. Why wouldn't I be proud of your decision?"  
"Because it's a year program that might take me away from you." She tries to maintain her composure. Giles absorbs the information.

"Where were you considering?" his question is valid.  
"I will apply here, of course. However, I have my heart set, providing the council approves, on Oxford or Cambridge." She looks up into his green eyes and cannot quite tell the shade they are turning.  
"Oh, I see." He tries to compose himself, "is this a new development? Or something you have been planning?" she looks down momentarily to collect herself.  
"Something I considered from day one. What I never added to the equation was meeting and falling for you." She cannot stop herself from reaching across the table and pushing an errant curl behind his ear. He smiles in thought.  
"I know I should act the jealous boyfriend. That would be the norm, which is why it would appear the girls high-tailed it out of here upon my arrival." She nods with a bit of a laugh. "I want you to be happy no matter what you choose." He takes her hands in his and squeezes them gently.

They share a moment of silence before Giles speaks.  
"I actually had a reason for coming here." He says with a shy smile. Mackenzie tilts her head.  
"I ruined the moment, didn't I?"  
"Actually, no. I wanted to ask you something." He notices that she's finished her hot chocolate and gestures for them to walk. She stands and puts her coat on and picks up her knapsack. He takes her arm and threads it into the crook of his elbow. "Do you have any other classes?"  
"No, I don't. I was actually going to make my way over to your flat and tell you the news."  
"Good. Let's walk home then." He leads her towards a paved walkway and together they make their way off campus.

"So what was it that you wanted to ask me?" she inquires as they walk down Sunnydale's main street.  
"Spring break will be approaching next month."  
"Oh right." She had nearly forgotten the interlude between tests and paper writing. "Did you have something in mind?"  
"I wanted to see if you had any plans for that week." She tilts her head up to see his face and can see a slight grin.  
"As of yet, I haven't confirmed any." She answers honestly.  
"Well then, I have a proposal." Odd use of the word, she muses yet plays along.  
"What do you have in mind?"  
"Come away with me."  
"Isn't it a little early in the relationship for a weekend away?"  
"Actually, I was thinking the whole week and as for our relationship, we've technically known each other for a little over two years. I assure you that you would be totally safe."  
"Okay, so where would be going?"

"England." Her eyes nearly fall out of their sockets.  
"England?!"  
"More specifically Bath, but England nonetheless." He smiles at her reaction.  
"You're kidding!" she exclaims.  
"I would never kid you, my dear." His smile grows into a great grin.  
"My parents would never."  
"I've already discussed it with them. You will travel with me to my home to meet my family."  
"Meet your family?" now she's sure that she's dreaming.  
"I realise that you have met my family, but that sure wasn't planned. You've planned this! What if they…" she stops dead in her tracks.  
"Don't like you? I assure you that they will love you almost as much as I do." He pauses and reaches to gently cup her cheek.

OMG! The L-word! She nearly faints.  
"Giles, I can't believe what you're asking."  
"All you need to do is say yes." He wraps an arm around her slender shoulders and draws her body towards his own.  
"Yes. Yes, I would love to join you on a trip to see your home." She smiles happily and forgetting that they are in the middle of a busy street— yanks his head down towards hers and devours his luscious lips in front of several shocked onlookers.  
"My dear, I can't imagine what your reaction would be to more serious inquiries." He gently presses his forehead against hers for a moment before they start walking again.  
"Thank you for being so understanding about my academic endeavours." She says as they wait for the light to change and the 'walk' signal to light up.  
"I'm not going to pretend that it isn't going to be hard for me to be without you for a year, but I will learn the modern ways of keeping in touch with you." She is touched by his willingness to actually use modern technology.  
"Although, I think there is still something to be said about the art of letter writing. And the telephone will allow me to hear your sexy voice." She adds happily.

"You really are something else," Giles states as they enter the condo complex and walk into the courtyard. "I shall book the tickets then." He smiles as they head to his flat.  
"Let me know what my portion is." She adds as he opens the door.  
"I've invited you as my guest." He pauses, "besides, I can always claim it as Watcher business." He winks and she breaks into a giggle.  
"So what exactly were you having difficulty with?" she inquires as they remove their coats and shoes. He turns towards the mountain of old books on his desk, the smell of aged leather fills her nostrils as she stands beside him. He lifts one of the volumes and hands it to her. She moves towards the green sofa and twists her body to turn on the lamp on the side table. He watches as she runs her finger under a line of text.

"This reminds me of Methos' journals." She sighs. "It actually looks like some form of code." He makes his way towards her and sits on the coffee table in front of her.  
"How do you mean?" he asks as she continues to try and read through the text.  
"Well, you see this is definitely Sumerian." she says pointing to one word. "But this, this is something else that will take more than an afternoon to figure out. Seeing you don't have a computer, do you have a linguistics reference book? This isn't traditional code." He stares at her for a moment before rising and making his way to a bookshelf that stands under a window and starts to read the book spines before pulling out a thick volume. "I can't quite make out the timeframe, as the second language doesn't appear to be from a distinguishable period that I can tell."

"When I read Methos' journals, I quickly realised that he combines Sumerian, what I presume to be his first written language, with whatever region he happened to be in, for example Hieroglyphics when he was in Egypt, or Latin when he was in Rome. Therefore the code established is only identifiable through the common link of Sumerian. This has no distinguishable pattern that I can tell— at least not at this point." She accepts the volume from Giles and opens it to the index. Skimming the index, she carefully turns the paper thin pages to a chart and starts to review the order in which written language was 'established'.  
"Oh great!"  
"What is it?"  
"You're so **not** going to love this." she exhales and quickly rubs her eyes.  
"Did you find something?" he sits closely beside her and she moves the volume so that it's supported by their thighs.  
"In a way. I think I should speak to Methos about this though. But it looks as if whoever wrote this used their own style of phonetics rather than actual language to keep some sort of record. Obviously they couldn't read or write, but understood this."

"Giles, how long have you been working on this?" she inquires as his expression falls.  
"The Council sent this to me before Christmas." He replies, removing his glasses, he retrieves his handkerchief and begins polishing them.  
"Whatever's in here must be really important if they want you to figure it out." She states and closes the reference volume. Moving the text over to sit on Giles' thighs, she leans forward and places the volume on the coffee table.  
"So what you're saying is once a distinguishable pattern can be established, we should be able to translate the text."  
"That's usually how I operate. I'm not banking on much, but I think Methos will be better at cracking this code than I." She states weaving her brows in thought. "I mean, I can see the common linkage, but at this point there is no rhyme or reason for the combination of the languages to have a fluent established code. Whoever wrote this probably didn't want anyone else to understand it." He tilts his head as he closes the text and places it on the coffee table. "Between the three of us, I'm sure we can get through enough of it to help whoever is in need of the translation." She smiles reassuringly.

"Have you any plans this evening?" Giles inquires standing and returning the reference book to its place on the shelf.  
"I am training tonight with Duncan. Did you have something in mind?"  
"No, I just thought if you weren't doing anything, we might take in a film." He straightens and she watches as he returns to his seat beside her.  
"I wish I could, but with everything on my plate right now I really need the training." She tilts her head and quickly tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Wishing she didn't have to check the time, she realises that it's nearly dinner. "As much as I wish I didn't."  
"You have to get going." He stands and holds out his hands towards her to help her to her feet.  
"Thanks." She moves her hands up towards his forearms and stands on tip-toe to kiss him sweetly. "I'll talk to you soon." She says happily and quasi-bounces towards the door and slips on her shoes as he retrieves her coat for her. "Awe Giles, you're too good to me." He holds her coat out, she slips her arms in and he rests his strong hands on her shoulders for a moment.  
"I'll keep you informed on the plans. Oh, I'll take another look at that translation and worst case scenario, I'll hand-print a copy to see what Methos can come up with. He may have already come across something similar in his time." She nods as he opens the door for her.

During her training session with Duncan, Mackenzie finds herself slightly distracted by some of the text she thought she could translate.  
"Kenzie, your leaving yourself open." Duncan instructs and she quickly makes the adjustments to her form. "That's better." He adds as she sweeps her foot underneath him, toppling him to the mat. Sensing that someone is watching them, she stands and glances towards the door where Methos stands, hands shoved in his light jean pockets, his baggy white turtleneck sweater slouchy over his jeans. She reaches a hand out towards Duncan, who instead of using it to stand; pulls her down to the mat with him. "You've let your guard down, leaving me the window of opportunity to possibly best you."  
"I know you're right Mac. I just have a lot on my mind." She stands and they bow to signal the end of their sparing match.

"Methos, you got a minute?" she inquires as she picks up her water bottle and takes a swig before closing the plastic lid. He takes a few steps towards her, not removing his hands form his pockets.  
"Sure, what's on your mind?" he asks, watching her as she towels some of the sweat from her brow and replace the towel in her gym bag. Pulling out a UC Sunnydale sweatshirt, she pulls the golden yellow garment over her head.  
"I have another translation favour to ask you." She picks up her water bottle once more.  
"Sure, shoot." He replies casually. She thinks for a moment.  
"Well, I've figured your code out since chronicling the mysterious mythological life of Methos. The Watchers Council sent Giles another journal to decode and while I was looking at it today, it's kicking my ass."  
"How do you mean?"  
"Well it's based on phonetics rather than the written language. Right now the only common denominator is a loose Sumerian."

She pauses and he sits on a bench in front of her.  
"Loose Sumerian?"  
"Well yeah, there are linguistical roots, but whoever this person was didn't use traditional language rules."  
"I'll have a look at it if that's what you need." He replies with his mischievous grin. Like Mackenzie, he loved a good challenge and this sounded like something that would interest him immensely.  
"If only his little Watchers Council knew who was actually doing all the work for them?" he laughs and she shakes her head.  
"Thanks. After I looked at it, he said he'd take another look and worst case hand-print it for you to take a look."  
"Sure, whatever you need. I'm sure that you'll have it figured out before I get my hands on it. I mean, you were already able to determine that it's written in code; and that it's a combination of sound rather than language."

She smiles and grabs her coat.  
"I'll drop it by once I see what he's figured out." She says and makes her way towards the door. "See you guys."  
"Next week? Same time?" Duncan says with a smile and she nods sharply before turning on her heel and walking towards the door.  
"Later!" Methos calls after her and, missing her eyes rolling, she turns and waves. Walking across the street, Mackenzie decides to pop into her uncle's bookstore. Joe is sitting at his desk behind the counter, she smiles as Rose, a heavy-set mousy blond helps a customer with their purchase. Joe, having heard the bell over the door ring, lifts his head and allows his eyes to wander towards the sound.  
"Kenzie! Good to see you. How's it going?" he inquires as he grabs the cane resting in its post beside him against the desk and makes his way towards her.  
"It's fantastic!" she replies happily. "How about yourself?" she inquires as she gives him a tight hug.  
"Things are good." He holds her out at arm's length. "I think someone's been good for you." He adds with a wink and she smiles as she feels a twinge of a blush creep up to rest on her already pinkish cheeks.

"Have you ever encountered an immortal or Watcher journal written in code before?" she inquires as they make their way to his desk to speak in private. Joe thinks for a moment and sighs. He shuffles around the desk, opens a cupboard and reads the spines of some very old and worn looking volumes. Seeming to be satisfied with a thick volume, he gently pulls it from the shelf. Setting it on the desk, they look at the pages together and she mulls over the similarities with the text Giles wanted her to translate.  
"Does it look anything like this?" he asks and she easily recognises the Sumerian, but the mixture doesn't quite ring a bell.  
"Why haven't I run into anything like this before in my Watcher research? The Methos Chronicles have a distinguishable pattern of language. The text Giles wants to translate has to be later, say dark ages? But I can't really tell as yet. There is Sumerian for sure, then what looks to be a phonetic Greek maybe, but I'm still unsure. When I attempt to make sense of the combination, that's where I get lost."  
"I know you'll get it. Take this and see if it helps to untangle the mess." He smiles and she accepts the volume.  
"You'll have it back as soon as we've worked out what we can." She gives him a quick half hug. "Thanks again." She adds as she walks through the shop.

Excited about the possibility of translating the text faster, Mackenzie heads home to shower and change before heading to Giles' flat and the inevitable Scooby meeting. She smiles happily as she makes her way across the courtyard and stops briefly at his door before gently tapping her knuckles on the intricately carved wooden door. She hears voices from within and isn't surprised to see Buffy answering the door.  
"Hey Kenzie!" she says stepping aside and granting Mackenzie in.  
"Hey Buffy." She replies placing the book on Giles' desk before shrugging out of her coat and adding it to the pile of coats flung over the wooden chair. Giles emerges from the gully kitchen with the regular provisions. Should anyone wish anything different, they would have to bring said snacks, which Xander periodically does and stashes the leftovers in one of the cupboards.  
"Hey Giles." She says making her way towards him, a bounce in her step and she gives him a quick chaste peck in front of the gang without thought. "I asked Joe about the translation and he's lent this to help us." She adds and he does something that shocks them— he ignores them and deepens the kiss.  
"So where is this book?" he says straitening his glasses with a grin. She retrieves the book and sets it in his hands.  
"I hope that this helps." She smiles and watches him skim through the pages as he walks to the sofa and quickly hitching his trousers sits.

"Is it at all possible that it's some sort of religious text? And not some horrible demon or demons coming to Sunnydale to use the Hellmouth as an entrance for their evil bidding." Willow says, her tone optimistic, but they all know that would hardly be the case.  
"What have you got so far?" Mackenzie lowers herself into the seat beside Giles and scoots herself closer— and almost resting her chin on his shoulder starts to read the book resting on his lap.  
"I haven't really had the chance to go over it per se. The gang arrived and, prior to your arrival, we've been settling ourselves down to research." He replies and she knows exactly what is meant by settling. Usually, in a bid to do as little research as possible, the gang arrive and immediately start discussing various possibilities. This time; however, while there was no apparent 'threat', they were attempting to head whatever evil might be lurking about, which left them at loss—assuming that this particular translation would lead them towards an answer.

Watching as the Scoobies attack their individual tasks, only stopping here and there to see if what they have found gels with anything, Giles purses his lips together into a thin line as he wonders if whatever it is they need to find actually exists.

"I had better get going. I have to pick Dawn up from school today. We're going to the mall to spend some 'quality time' together." Buffy says as she makes air quotes and rolls her eyes to emphasise her displeasure with her situation. After a difficult period, her mother has insisted that the two spend some extra time together to strengthen their sisterly bond. Standing, Buffy stretches her arms above her head before stepping over Willow and her pile of books. "Giles, don't worry, I'll get to patrol tonight. See you guys later." She calls over her shoulder, threading her arms through the sleeves of her leather jacket and heads out.

"What's this?" Mackenzie runs a slender finger underneath a passage. Giles snaps out of his thoughts and scoots closer to her and fumbles with the passage.  
"I'm not exactly sure, but it appears to infer that a key was sent to be protected." He sighs as she shakes her head and tries to continue reading through the passage.  
"Methos would be far better suited for this!" She says with a loud sigh. Giles can only watch as Mackenzie moves the book to rest on his thighs in frustration and stands.  
"What is it, my love?" he inquires setting the book aside and follows her into the kitchen.  
"Just when things start to feel normal, something like this seems to happen." She allows herself a moment raw emotion and, standing beside her, Giles runs a comforting hand down her back allowing it to rest at the base of her spine.

Turning into him, Mackenzie presses her cheek against his chest and lets the feeling of comfort and warmth through his embrace wash over her.  
"At least we have an idea of what is going on." Giles begins, his soothing accent caressing her senses, she gently draws from his embrace and lifts her gaze up to take in his calming features.  
"But a key infers that it opens something." She states in thought. "Giles, this is the Hellmouth, after all."  
"Are you thinking that the key opens a gate to another dimension?"  
"I haven't been here as long as you, but from what I do know is that **anything** is possible." Her heart sinks at the thought of their pending predicament. "We just have to figure out what this key is and what it does and we're half way to the resolution." Her face lights up slightly at the thought of the possibility of squashing whatever evil has sought to mess with them.

"I'm glad that you've calmed down." His smile is slightly crooked and she cannot help the smile that tugs at her own lips. Closing the distance between them, Mackenzie raises herself on her tiptoes and, using his shoulders to maintain her balance, leans towards him and captures his waiting lips with hers. Putting as much emotion into the kiss, she savours the velvety softness of his lips pressed against hers.  
"Don't worry, my love. We'll get to the bottom of this." He promises her and seals his promise with another kiss. A light cough breaks their moment and they both blush slightly when Willow enters the small kitchen with an empty tray of dishes.  
"Sorry guys, I just wanted to take care of these before Xander and I leave. I think we stuck you with them the last time." She grins shyly and carefully manoeuvres around the pair, stopping at the sink to wash the dishes.

Mackenzie nods her response and turns to make her way back to the living room where Xander sits on the hunter green sofa reading through another book. Sighing loudly, he lets his head fall back onto the awaiting cushion and closes his eyes.  
"Did you find anything interesting?" she inquires, settling herself into the leather arm chair.  
"Nadda." He replies with another sigh, emphasising his frustration. "I never imagined how much this would suck." He adds and runs a hand through his shaggy chestnut hair.  
"Yeah, I know what you mean." She shakes her head and they sit in comfortable silence, listening to the running water and clinking and clanging of the dishes in a sink of hot water.  
"I'll dry." She hears Giles' voice break through the noise.

"Thanks Giles." Willow replies as she picks up another teacup, runs the wet cloth over the china and sets it onto the wire rack. Giles picks up another cup, allowing the newly washed one to sit for a moment, runs a soft towel over it and places it in the cupboard along with the rest of the dishes. "Do you think we'll figure this out before it becomes a far larger problem?" Willow inquires softly as she picks up a plate and repeats the cleaning process. Giles follows suit with the previous teacup.  
"I do think that we're closer than before," he takes a breath and stops himself from reaching for his glasses to polish, "figuring out what the key actually is will definably be an asset to our cause."  
"What if we are looking at it the wrong way?" she looks down at her hands in the soapy water.  
"How do you mean?" he cannot help his eyebrows from knitting together slightly.  
"Oh, I don't know. What if it isn't the Hellmouth itself per se? Or not an actual object at all?"  
"Well my dear, we'll get to the bottom of it. We always have." He smiles warmly and places a comforting hand upon her tense shoulder— she turns her head up towards him and tries to smile her thanks.


	10. Chapter 10

Please note that the usual disclaimers are in the first chapter.

"Pull that shoulder back!" Duncan instructs as Mackenzie attacks—he counters her offence with a swift floor sweep, taking her legs out from under her and sending her crashing to the mat.  
"I deserve that." She utters, gracefully righting herself and resuming her fighting stance.  
"Hey, what's going on?" he signals for them to pause in their session. She sighs and bows her agreement to the sparing match's conclusion. "You haven't been as focused lately." He adds as they move towards a bench with their water bottles and towels.  
"I know. We've been researching the newest big bad." She sweeps the towel over her neck and shoulders, pausing only to hook the towel over her neck.  
"Newest big bad?" he cocks a brow and sets his towel aside.  
"Yes, there is this key that we need to locate that will help us keep the world safe." She replies quietly, "I've asked Adam for his help, which has been wonderful and we have a few theories at the moment; however, it's nothing concrete." She picks up her water bottle and takes a much-needed gulp.  
"A Key?" his chocolate eyebrow cocks in interest.  
"That's what all the texts that we can decipher tell us." She sets the water bottle aside and sits on the bench— leaning her shoulders against the wall and stretching her long, lean legs before her. He tilts his head in thought.  
"Is it anything like the Stone of Scone?" his question taking her by surprise.  
"You mean, as in plain sight?" she feels excited at the prospect of figuring out what the key could be.  
"Something like that. If one were to sit upon the Stone, he or she would be King or Queen of Scotland. Amanda had thought it a lucrative heist; however, as per the norm, nothing is as it seems and the stone was worthless." He laughs at the memory of their elaborate scheme to steal the stone. However, like with most things with Amanda, the raven or platinum-haired thief, nothing was ever boring.

Mackenzie nods in understanding and thinks back to a few lines she had read in one of the many texts a few days back. _The Key must be protected by the Chosen One and concealed in a manner that she won't be discovered._ In that moment a bright smile captures her lips and Duncan gives her a sideways look.  
"What is it?"  
"I think I have it!" she exclaims happily and jumps from her seat, bounds towards Duncan and wraps him in a tight hug. "The key isn't an object at all." She pauses and steps away from him. "It's human."  
"Human?" his voice hardly above a whisper.  
"Yes, of course, it's human. It's Dawn!"  
"How would you come to that conclusion?"  
"I came across a text that was a rather odd combination of Sumerian mixed with something on the cusp of Middle English that stated that the Key must be protected by the Chosen One and concealed in a manner that **she** won't be discovered." Duncan's smile matches hers.

"How do you suppose we keep Dawn out of harm's way— without her knowing?" he asks with raised eyebrows.  
"That's going to be the hard part. Dawn is a teenager who needs to have her social life. I'm not sure how we're going to manage such a feat." Mackenzie sighs as she gathers her belongings as quickly as possible. "I have to get this information to Giles!" she says happily as she snaps the last button on her coat under her chin. Making her way to him, she hugs him tightly. "I'll talk to you soon." She adds with a quick kiss on his cheek.  
"Yeah." He replies as he watches her grab her bag and bolt out the door, nearly running into Methos.  
"Sorry!" she calls over her shoulder.  
"No problem." He sighs and watches her get into her car. "What's going on?" he inquires casually as he follows Duncan to the elevator to go up to the loft.

"Do you recall the texts that she asked you help translate?" Duncan opens the metal cage door and they step in.  
"As a matter of fact, I do." He replies as the door is closed, a button pressed, and the elevator lurches gently before beginning its ascent.  
"Well, she figured out what it means." He says with a proud smile.  
"Oh yeah? I figured as much." Methos replies as the elevator stops and Duncan opens the cage door for them to move into the loft.  
"Beer?"  
"You know me all too well." Methos follows Duncan into the kitchen and seats himself at the breakfast bar. "So is it the end as bad as hypothesised?" he accepts the bottle with a nod and twists the metal cap off before taking a satisfying swig.  
"Worse." Duncan sighs loudly and leans against the counter. "Kenzie thinks that if the key is found, then whoever it is that is looking for it, will open a portal into another dimension that will essentially cause this one to collapse upon itself.

"While the individuals in this world go about their daily lives oblivious to the fact that the world is at an end, our girl Kenzie is helping her crew save it." Duncan can only nod his ascent, slightly amazed at the reality.  
"I hadn't really thought of it that way." He finally says, "she'll always just be my Kenzie, you know?"  
"Yeah, same here," Methos replies with his trademark lopsided smile.  
"But really Methos. How many times have we heard of the world at its end?"  
"Far too many to count." His reply an honest one. "And yet, why is this time any different?"  
"I doubt that it is, but on the other hand, it could very well be the one time that whatever it is collides, does so and then poof!"

Sitting at his desk, Giles reviews his notes and picks up yet another text.  
"Giles!" Mackenzie's voice is loud through the door as her frantic knock follows. "Giles!" he can hardly get to the door before she knocks again. He knows that something is going on and makes a mad dash for the door.  
"Mackenzie, love— what is it?" he steps aside as she enters his flat.  
"I think I know what the key is." She says happily as he closes the door behind her and follows her into his flat. Stopping at his desk, she notices the text that lays open. "What's this?" she pauses in thought.  
"Well, I was thinking about a few things that you said the other day while we were in research mode, but to be honest, I only sat down with it." He runs a hand through his hair and tilts his head to the side. The smile on her lips causes him to smile slightly and they set themselves on the sofa.

"So what is it that you've found out?" he prompts.  
"I think I know what— nay, who the Key is."  
"What? Who?" his expression is puzzled as her smile widens.  
"It's Dawn!" she exclaims with enthusiasm.  
"How exactly did you come to this conclusion?"  
"There was just something about the texts that drew me towards the Key being human. Only it didn't occur to me that it was Dawn until the wording in the final text prompted me to really think about things." She pauses in thought, "the text was a combination of Sumerian with pre-Middle English. It was only one line that resonated with me." She runs her slender fingers through her hair and tucks a stray strand behind her ear.

"The Key must be protected by the Chosen One— concealed in a manner that **she** won't be discovered." Suddenly Giles' eye light up. Removing his glasses and quickly running a thin cloth over them to remove a few dust particles. "What better way to protect the world then use the Slayer?" she sits back and waits for his reaction. Hesitant, at first, Giles takes a deep breath and slapping his thighs, he stands.  
"How sure of you of this?" he questions.  
"I'm incredibly certain that this is indeed the case. It's the only logical answer to our question. All we need to do is be sure that Buffy is aware of the situation and that we all ensure that Dawn is safe."  
"You know full well that that's going to be near impossible. Joyce can hardly get the girls to spend time together as it is."

"Giles, I know. But we have to do the best we can." He nods his ascent. "You know that this means we now have to figure out what we're keeping her safe from."  
"Yes, of course." He replies calmly.  
"This isn't going to be an easy win for the good guys is it?"  
"Probably not." He replies with a sigh. "In truth, it never is." He adds and they sit in silence for a long moment. Shifting so that he faces her. "Well, at the very least— we are one step closer to keeping the world safe."  
"What about the rest of the puzzle?" she tilts her head and lowers her eyes to look down at her nervously folded hands.

"As usual, we will find out exactly what is going on and a way to triumph over it." He replies simply— confidence both in his voice and posture.  
"Just wish I had the same feeling." She sighs as she scoots closer to him and fits herself into his side— he immediately wraps his arm around her and pulls her as closely into him as possible. Their tender moment is brought to an abrupt end with a loud knocking. "I'll get it." Mackenzie moves to get up, but Giles rests a comforting hand on her knee and rises instead. Opening the door, to Buffy— he steps aside to allow her to gain entrance.  
"Hey, Giles." She pauses, noticing Mackenzie sitting on the sofa. "Hey, Kenzie. I didn't know that you were here." She laces her fingers together as she sits on the opposite end of the sofa.  
"Buffy what is it?" the concern is clear in his tone and Mackenzie makes a move to leave, but both Buffy and Giles gesture for her to stay.

"My mom." Her voice is small, almost childlike as she wraps her arms around herself.  
"Is she okay?" Mackenzie's voice holds a concern that catches both Giles and Buffy's attention.  
"I'm not sure." She glances down at the coffee table for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "Remember that I told you that she has been having these odd headaches?" Giles nods his ascent and she clears her throat before continuing. "The doctor doesn't think that they are just your run of the mill headache or even migraines." She takes another much-needed breath.  
"What is it?" Giles prompts her to continue, sitting between the girls and reaching out to gently take Buffy's hand.  
"It could be a tumour." She nearly chocks on a sob. Mackenzie stands and heads towards the gully kitchen to get a glass of cold water.

"Here, you go." She carefully hands the glass to Buffy and can't shake the tremble of her friend's hands as she takes a sip.  
"Thanks." She leans towards the coffee table and places the half-empty glass on an awaiting coaster.  
"Have they done any tests?" Giles inquires. She shakes her head.  
"Not yet, all the doctor said was that mom would have to have a bunch of tests done and we'd just have to wait and see what the results are and then decide on the treatment options." She attempts to remain as calm as she can but finds her emotions getting the better of her.  
"Well, you'll just have to take the time that you need to spend with your mother," Mackenzie says gently and reaches over Giles to offer her friend some comfort.

"In the meantime. I'll help by doing your patrols."  
"Oh no! You will do no such thing." Giles protests.  
"Sweets, it isn't as though I'm risking my neck per se."  
"I will not have it. Granted, you're a pre-immortal; but what about our future together?" his admission, had she been standing, would have knocked her on her ass.  
"Our who-to-the-what?"  
"Future." He offers with kindness in his tone. "As in you and I possibly getting married and having a family of our own." She immediately notices a twinkle in his deep green eyes. She reaches out towards him and threads her arm through his in a loving gesture, as she had not thought that far ahead in their relationship.  
"Giles, you may be right; but you sure as hell can't do it on your own." She adds with a gentle squeeze.  
"I've done it before." He assures her.  
"Granted, but having said that. I think I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to keeping you safe." She smiles, unthreads her arm from his and stands. As she reaches out towards the empty glass, Buffy stops her.  
"It's okay, I'm fine." She stumbles slightly and stands. "I had better get going. Dawn and I are ordering pizza and have planned a girls night in." she turns to go. Giles stands and walks her to the door.  
"Thanks." She says with a weak smile as Giles holds out her jacket for her.  
"Keep us in the loop," Mackenzie says as she makes her way towards Buffy and gives her a comforting hug.  
"Of course." Her reply feeling automatic, but both Mackenzie and Giles ignore her flat response.  
"I'll also keep you informed of what's going on with regards to the test results." Buffy fastens her jacket and heads out the door.

The following week blurs into the next and Mackenzie finds herself extra busy with paper research, essays, Watcher business, training and helping the Scooby gang with their research and translation. Plunking herself into the seat between Giles and Xander, Mackenzie sighs loudly and opens another book. Anya sits on the floor next to Xander's feet, while Willow and Tara occupy the leather armchair.  
"What else have we got?" Buffy's tone holds a level of frustration, even Giles has never heard. "I'm used to knowing my foe, studying them to the point where it's only a matter of time— on my time." She adds as she uncrosses her arms as she heads to the kitchen to collect the tray of tea and cookies. "Glory." She states with venom in her voice. "When we first met, she nearly kicked the shit out of me."

 _Her blond wavy hair catches the light and shines like spun gold against the darkness of the black leather jacket and her laughter echoes in the emptiness of the abandoned building. Buffy springs to her feet and evaluates her situation, attempting to locate a route of escape.  
"Blondie, guess you can't handle the likes of me." Her bright crimson lips twitch into a venomous smile. Buffy doesn't let her taunt get under her skin, she merely finds the opening she had been hoping for and lunges towards it. Running as fast as her legs can carry her, Buffy manages to make her way to safety.  
_"Buffster." Xander's voice breaks her from her reverie.  
"Huh?" she replies feeling a cold shiver creep down her spine. "Anyways, I'm not going to let her get the upper hand again." She adds as Giles twirls his glasses between his fingers.

Research mode continues and as time moves, so too do the suggestions. The worst of which was to contact the Watcher's Council and ask for their assistance— assuming they had any intelligence on Glory in the first place. It had been fairly clear to Buffy and Giles that they had long ago been abandoned by the council. Mackenzie only hoped that their Watcher's Council was nothing like her own.  
"I had better get going," Mackenzie says as she sets the book aside. Giles follows suit and they walk to the door. "Giles, I'll see you for dinner tomorrow." She smiles as she slips her coat on.  
"Yes, of course." He replies helping her with the fastenings before gently caressing her cheeck with his hand and bringing his lips down to capture hers.

Making her way across the courtyard, Mackenzie lets her mind wander to a time when her life almost seemed 'normal'— just a regular high school student studying to be a Watcher. However, once becoming aware of her pending immortality, everything suddenly turned for the strange— including her relationship with Giles. Arriving home, Mackenzie allows herself to sigh loudly as she removes her jacket and shoes before heading to the kitchen to make dinner. Knowing that there was a lot of school work to complete, she forewent a complex meal in favour of something she had made and frozen. Once satisfied that the kitchen was clean, she headed upstairs to her office to work on her assignments.

Wednesday finds the gang at the hospital awaiting the test results on Joyce's biopsy.  
"How's your mom?" Mackenzie asks as she hands Buffy a coffee from the Starbucks on the corner. Buffy raises her head, her red-rimmed eyes almost looking through her she tries to smile.  
"I don't think it's good. They're taking way too long with telling us the results." She whispers so that Dawn cannot hear. They both glance over and watch as the teen runs her slender fingers nervously through her long, silky locks. Giles sits beside Xander, their heads bowed in conversation.  
"I'm so sorry." Mackenzie reaches out and places a comforting hand on Buffy's slender shoulders.  
"Thanks for the coffee." She adds and quickly brushes a stray tear from her eye.

The doctor's arrival causes the group to simultaneously glance towards the figure in the white coat.  
"Buffy Summers?" his voice is full of concerning and Dawn's expression turns to one of fear.  
"Yes," she replies as she stands and makes her way towards him. "What's going on with my mother?" her voice is slightly shaky, filled with emotion. Giles stands close enough to be there for her should she need him. She almost falls backwards and he immediately reaches out for her and she allows him into her space.  
"We're going to have to operate. The tumour is causing her headaches. This should alleviate some of the pressure, which will help alleviate the severity of the headaches. Possibly assist in stopping them all together. Except for your run of the mill stress-related headache." He explains and Buffy and Giles listen attentively. Mackenzie huddles, off to the side, with the rest of the group, waiting to see what she can do to help. Giles guides Buffy, in an understandable state of shock, Dawn trailing behind, after shrugging off Giles' offer of comfort.

"What's the verdict?" Xander inquires with his usual banter in his tone. The deflated expression the girls wear tells them it isn't good.  
"Buffy, whatever we have to do—we'll do it." Willow closes the distance between them and places a comforting hand on her shoulder. All Buffy can do is allow them to guide her. Dawn lets Xander place his arm around her and guides her along the sterile hallway.  
"Everything is going to be just fine." He says, helping her into the car. Like her sister, Dawn is just as shocked by the news and sits in silence. "Okay then, I'll just get you home." She only stares blankly out the passenger window.  
"They admitted mom." Buffy can hardly utter as the remaining members crowd around her in support. "Surgery will be in a few days, they still have to run a few tests." She says her voice a quiet monotone.  
"She has the best doctors," Mackenzie says with a small smile. "They will make sure that she's okay." Buffy nods slowly, wiping the tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.  
"Can I see her before we go?" her voice changing from the monotone to that of a young child. Giles smiles at the memory of Buffy no longer being the young girl he had met all those years ago.  
"Of course," he pauses taking a breath. "We'll meet the rest of you in the cafeteria?"  
"Sure. We'll grab something while we wait." Mackenzie quickly plants a gentle kiss on his cheek. "See you soon." She adds as he gently takes Buffy by the elbow and directs her towards the elevator while the rest head downstairs.

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" Willow's voice betrays her calm expression as Tara keeps a tight hold on her girlfriend's hand.  
"She has to be," Mackenzie replies as they enter and stop in front of the counter filled with various food choices. Having made and paid for their selections, they find a quiet table in the corner by a large window.  
"Well, what if this is the one thing that she can't handle?" Willow sighs and gently blows the steaming liquid. "I mean, she's encountered so many scary things that go bump in the night— but this is totally different. This is a foe that isn't something she can beat up you know?"  
"I know, but if nothing else, Joyce is an exceptionally strong woman.  
"That's true if nothing else Mrs. Summers can beat whatever it is." Tara smiles behind her paper cup of hot cocoa.

Time seems to fly as research mode on their latest foe continues, Buffy standing guard over her mother during surgery, while the Scooby gang takes turns keeping her company. The following Monday afternoon Joyce is discharged from the hospital and Buffy then turns her concentration on her family and helping her mother get through some of the lingering side-effects of her surgery. Some nausea, dizziness, and some weakness. Luckily, no headaches. A few more days of being cooped up with Dawn and her mother, Buffy's mother taps gently on the doorframe.  
"Honey?"  
"Yeah, mom?" she replies, looking up from her computer.  
"I am fine, you know. Dawn can hang out with me while you patrol." She smiles brightly.  
"Are you sure?" Buffy's eyes light up. "I mean. I don't want to leave you alone. In case you need me." Saving her work, Buffy turns off her computer.  
"Buffy, go."  
"Thanks, mom!" Joyce smiles as Buffy hugs her tightly before making her way past her, bounding down the stairs to put on her shoes and a light jacket.

Walking to Giles' flat, Buffy does a quick sweep of the empty park and one of her usual cemeteries. Gently knocking on the door, Giles opens it and his grin widens.  
"How are things going?" Buffy's voice fills the living room of Giles' apartment as she closes the door behind.  
"Well, the thing with our latest is that even the Council cannot assist us. It would appear that they either don't have any intelligence, or they prefer to let you wing it. I'm not sure which." Giles replies, plucks his thin wire glasses from the bridge of his long nose and drapes his arm on the armrest, all the while twirling the spectacles by the flimsy arm.  
"That's okay." She replies and plunks herself in between Xander and Willow.

A moment of silence passes, all heads bowed over various volumes, Willows fingers frantically typing can be heard through the silence. Mackenzie stands to stretch her long legs and heads to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Giles follows her and finds her leaning against the counter while she waits for the water to boil.  
"What is it my love?" he asks, closing the distance between them. She allows him to gather her into his strong arms and breaths in the heady scent of his cologne.  
"This isn't going to be easy, is it? I mean, Buffy is preoccupied with family issues."  
"I know love, it's not going to be easy, but I know Buffy and she is perfectly capable of dealing with whatever dares take her on." He smiles crookedly and she returns his smile before gently placing a tender kiss on his awaiting lips.

Spike's sudden arrival causes all heads to snap up and eyes rest on him.  
"You realise that I just got out of the clutches of the big bad right?" he asks and closes the door behind with a loud thud. Willow is the first to register his comment.  
"Whatever do you mean?" her mock innocence evident in her voice as she returns to her online research. He snorts a reply and sets himself on the armchair. Rolling his eyes he continues.  
"Yeah, you know? I was held hostage against my will by that she-bitch. And guess what?" everyone stops what they're up to and gives him their attention. "Blondie is also human."

"Human? Are you sure?" Giles tilts his head.  
"I saw it with my own two eyes." He says and bugs his eyes for effect.  
"Interesting," Buffy huffs standing and stops in front of him, a hand on her slender hip, "you better not be feeding us crap Spike! Or else I'll."  
"What? Stake me where I sit?" he snorts, as it's hardly the first time she's ever threatened him in such a manner. Leaning back in the seat, he tilts his head up to look at her, a quizzical expression on his pale features.  
"Any ideas on how to get rid of her? Stop her ritual? Prevent her from finding the Key?" she leans down towards him, eyes narrowing as she settles her hands on the armrests either side of him. Inching her head down towards him, she catches his eyes with hers and in that moment, they come to some sort of silent agreement. "Thought as much," she straightens and turns on her heels, "I'm going to patrol." She announces and quickly opens and closes the door behind her.

"What's got her?" Xander turns his icy gaze towards Spike.  
"Yes, what exactly is going on between the two of you?" Willow snaps the laptop closed.  
"Nothing!" Spike retorts far too quickly.  
"I suppose the best thing is for you to use the information that you've gathered to help with our present situation," Giles states as he exits the kitchen and stops short of the chair Spike occupies. Spike grunts his reply and sits up in his seat to illustrate to Giles that he cannot be intimidated by them. Working through his ordeal, Spike feeds them the information that they need, but it doesn't come without a price— and he holds out his hand towards Giles to pay up. Opening his wallet, Giles fishes for a few bills and sets them in Spike's palm.

"Thanks, mate I'll keep an eye out for the she-bitch and see what she's up to. Don't want her opening whatever it is that she has in mind.  
"One last thing." Willow's voice almost as fiery as her short red hair.  
"And what might that be?" he inquires as he raises himself from the comfort of the armchair.  
"You say she can take human form?"  
"Yup." He replies. She narrows her eyes slightly.  
"What does she look like?"  
"A dude." He huffs and stalks past the group towards the door. Xander's expression remains unchanged as he stares at the door.

"That's no more helpful than saying that she's human." Tara manages under her breath. "Why is everything a big riddle?"  
"That's it." Giles' lips turn up into a smile.  
"What's the what?" Xander quips, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. Anya's expression also changes slightly, she's catching onto Giles' thoughts.  
"Let me talk to D'Hoffryn and see if he's seen or heard anything about this Glory or whatever her name is." Anya stands and grabs Xander's hand.  
"Guess I'm going with." He states with a shrug.  
"Sounds like a plan. You'll let us know what you find out?" Giles calls as she throws open the door.  
"You got it." She pushes Xander through the door and follows, leaving a loud thud in her wake.

"She's just a little too energetic on that front," Willow says with a smile, catching Mackenzie's perplexed expression.  
"I was thinking along the line of something more." She makes her way to the sofa, where Giles sits comfortably. "So, if this D'Hoffryn has any intelligence on the identification of Glory, he'll share it with Anya?"  
"I hope so." Willow smiles with hope. "I mean, he's probably been around long enough to have either head of her, or at the very least encountered her."  
"How can you be so sure that he'll help us?"  
"Well, for starters— if she accomplishes whatever it is she's trying to do, the world as we know it is pretty much over. I'd say he's just as eager to prevent that from happening."

"Mackenzie does have a point. Getting Spike onside is hard enough. This D'Hoffryn is a vengeance demon. He could very well just sit back and watch the carnage." Giles removes his glasses from their comfortable perch on his nose and picks the handkerchief from his pocket. Beginning the process of polishing his glasses, he thinks about the reality. "Then again, he may also have an agenda that the end of the world may fit into."  
"So we really aren't any closer to a solution." Tara sighs and snuggles into Willows side.  
"I suppose not, but we have to keep working." Giles replaces his glasses and pockets the handkerchief. Mackenzie places a hand on Giles' thigh before standing.  
"I'll have to get going. I have school work and Watcher duties to take care of." She leans down and captures his lips with hers.  
"We'll have lunch tomorrow?" Giles suggests and she nods.  
"I'll be at the dojo training."  
"Then I'll meet you there and we'll pick a restaurant."  
"Sounds good. See you tomorrow. Bye guys." She heads towards the door.  
"I guess we should be heading out as well," Willow announces when Tara stifles the third yawn. "We'll figure this out, Giles. We have to. We've been through far too much crap not to." She packs her computer and they gather the rest of their things.  
It's another eerie day in Sunnydale, an oddly rainy day in the normally permanently sunshine state. This weather causes a general sense of restlessness and Giles is not immune to this. Checking the time, he heads out to his favourite coffee shop and orders his beverage of choice.  
"I'll have a chai tea," and takes a breath, pausing mid-order deciding to add something for Duncan, Adam, and Mackenzie. Let's see if I can get this right, he muses momentarily. "A tall vanilla latte and two regular coffees." The teen behind the counter punches in the order.  
"That will be twelve seventy-five." Giles grabs his wallet and plucks a crisp twenty. Receiving his change, he heads to the waiting area for the beverages. Once he's added the needed milk and sugar, he picks up the tray and heads out of the coffee shop.

Although unusual for sunny California, the misty rainy day reminded him very much of the weather home and the upcoming trip planned for Mackenzie to meet his family. With happy thoughts running through his mind, his thoughts suddenly turn to their recent problem, Glory. Giles carefully balances the tray, pulls the door to the dojo open and holds it open for several exiting and entering students. He pauses, watching the grace of the students learning new movements, fighting styles, and going through various katas. In one corner a small group of black belts are going over various fighting techniques, he enjoys how the students teach and spot each other while their teacher circles in observation. He recalls the many hours spent with Buffy in the same manner while training. Weaving his way through the vast space, Giles finally makes it towards the back and the office where he knows Mackenzie is in with Duncan.

"Duncan, how am I to tell him?" Makenzie asks. "Giles and I agreed never to keep secrets. They have this tenancy to blow up and cause far more trouble than just talking about whatever the issue is." Giles hears her muffled voice. He doesn't wish to eavesdrop, but hearing the urgency in her tone causes him to pause and wait for the right moment to open the door.  
"Never? Kenzie are you nuts? You can't tell me that you've told him everything about us." His tone harsher than he had intended, but he wanted her to understand the complexity of the situation.  
"You and Methos said yourselves that he's just like me! Doesn't that mean that he has the right to know?" she demands and can see a change in his expression. "What is it?"  
"Step away from the door." He whispers and pushes past her. In one fell swoop, Duncan opens the door revealing a shocked Giles.  
"I'm just like you? Mackenzie what do you mean?" he demands.  
"Giles." She stammers and finds herself unable to speak. In her inability to articulate her confession, he decides to spare her the embarrassment.  
"Do you mean I'm pre-immortal?" none of them answer his inquiry. Their silence only confirms his suspicion. "Don't bother answering. But tell me this." He pauses in thought. "How long have you known?" he demands. She stares at him, then turns her eyes towards Duncan and Methos for assistance.  
"You can't even tell me that?!" his tone is filled with hurt and betrayal. Unable to look at her, he turns on his heels and makes a mad dash through the maze of students to the door. Finally coming out of her daze, Mackenzie finds her feet and books it out of the office after him. However, she is unable to see which way he went once he exited the dojo.  
" **GILES!** " she hollers as loudly as she can manage, despite the pain in her chest that seems to seep into her throat.

"Nice going Kenzie." She mutters to herself, throat raw, as she turns on her heel and heads back to Duncan's office.  
"You didn't think that we don't have enough to deal with right now. You just had to toss one more thing onto the already over-crowded plate!" she snaps with hot tears welling up in her eyes threatening to fall. Methos snorts and crosses his arms in a protective manner across his broad chest. Unable to keep her emotions in check, Mackenzie lets the tears fall freely down her cheeks and glares one last time at them before turning on her heel and fleeing from the office through the dojo and out the door— leaving her bag on the floor beside Duncan's office door.

"Good one Mac," Methos states matter-of-factly. Duncan sighs and thinks for a moment.  
"Guess I had that one coming." He pauses, "but she should have known better." He adds with a motion for Methos to leave him alone.  
"We're on for dinner at Joe's tonight?" he says over his shoulder as he opens the door.  
"I don't know how pleasant my company will be, but I'll be there," Duncan replies sitting back in his seat and sighing heavily.  
"See you there." Methos closes the door behind him and heads out.

With her arms wrapped tightly around a stack of books and her book bag swinging wildly, Mackenzie flies through the quad on her way to lecture. Three days have passed since she last saw Giles— they have had no contact since, and her heart still ached, which unfortunately for her, only made concentrating more difficult.  
"Kenzie!" she continues following her usual route trying to divert her thoughts and concentrate on the ground in front of her through the tears that threatened to fall at any moment. "Kenzie!" still threading her way through various groups of students chatting. " **Mackenzie!** " finally she turns, her ponytail nearly whipping her cheek.  
"Oh hey, Adam." She stops and waits for him to quickly catch up. He reaches out and gently places a comforting hand on her shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze.  
"He'll come 'round, you know." She shakes her head slightly, still in a daze, her expression one of someone who has lost a loved one.  
"I really don't think so. This isn't something small. It isn't as though I merely forgot to tell him about plans to go home and see my family, you know?"

"He loves you."  
"Yes, I know— and that's why this omission might break us apart." She looks down momentarily as their steps fall in line. "Think about it," she pauses and he follows her train of thought, "what if Giles believes that this omission isn't the only one? What if he thinks that I either haven't told him something or worse yet— have lied about other far less significant things?"  
"Like what?"  
"Oh, I don't know. Let's just say I don't like something he wears, or says, or eats, or whatever!"  
"Just wait it out. I think once he realises that if this is the worst of it, the two of you can make it through anything. Besides, just think how long the two of you will have together. I've been married well over seventy times." He pauses in thought, "at least."  
"All happy I presume?" despite her pain, Mackenzie will forever accept being charged as a romantic at heart.  
"Of course. Although it is incredibly difficult to watch the one you love grow old and wither away." He sighs wistfully as his mind travels back to his time with Alexa Bond— a young woman dying to live while dying by the unfeeling hands of disease that slowly and painfully ripped its way through her body— taking her from him before they truly ever had a chance to be together.

"I really hear what you're saying. And I know it's true, but I still cannot help but think of how difficult is it for him."  
"How long did it take you to come 'round to your potential reality?"  
"I know that it takes time to adapt. Continue to be careful in the things that you immortals probably take for granted."  
"Fighting to stay alive is hardly something to take for granted." He replies and she sighs.  
"I know. I was just trying to put things into perspective for you so that you can understand how things work in a relationship." She adds as they pass through a sea of parting students.  
"Well, just wait it out. I'm sure he misses you."  
"Missing, loving, and trusting are all very different things." She quickly wipes a stray tear from her eye with the back of her hand. He notices her gesture and places a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Kenzie, you're an incredibly special woman. Any man would be absolutely honoured to have you by his side. If Giles can't see that, then he's definitely not the one for you." Unable to meet his intense sea green gaze, she turns her head away. "I'm being totally serious you know? If he doesn't see in you what he ought to, he's the biggest idiot on the planet." He pauses for a moment, "really, Kenzie. You're an amazing woman. You know how to take care of yourself and you're always looking out for everyone around you. Even your brother can see how incredibly special you are— that's why he wants to be sure to meet whomever you choose to be with.  
"Thanks, Adam." She tries to smile through the tears. "You always seem to know what to say."  
"I wonder why that might be." He replies with a wink. "Say, how about skipping the rest of the day. Let me take you out for something to eat and we'll just hang."  
"That actually sounds like a wonderful idea." She replies, letting him gently take hold of the pile of books in her arms.  
"We'll get rid of these." He smiles tenderly and lets a deep chuckle erupt, making Mackenzie smile. "What do you feel like for lunch?"  
"I really haven't been hungry lately."  
"Then let me surprise you." They retreat, making their way through a more open hallway, as many lectures have resumed. "Did you bring your truck?"  
"Actually, no— I felt like walking today." She replies as they head towards one of the many parking lots. She spies his car and he fishes the keys from his pocket.  
"In that case, get in." He opens the door for her and deposits the pile of books on the backseat.

They enter the busy restaurant.  
"Table for two?" the pretty petite blond hostess inquires returning to her post at the podium— Adam nods his ascent and Mackenzie watches as she picks up two heavy padfolio -like menus from behind the rich wooden podium. Gesturing for them to follow, she leads them to a secluded table near the picture window— free of wait staff having to constantly pass, and therefore free of prying ears.  
"This is perfect," Methos says with his sly smile, making the hostess blush.  
"Your waiter will be with you momentarily to take your orders." She places the heavy menus in front of them.  
"Thank you." Methos opens his menu and begins dissecting the offerings. With a smile of her own, Mackenzie follows suit.

Their lunch is pleasant and their conversation just as it has always been— easy, comfortable, and just about anything and everything that had nothing to do with her current situation with Giles. When dessert arrives, Mackenzie takes a moment to savour the beautiful presentation before picking up her fork and digging in.  
"Adam— you have to try this." She holds out the fork towards him and he leans in towards her, wrapping his lips around the sweet cake. Drawing back, he makes a face that essentially says everything she's thinking. "Fantastic." He finally manages and looks at the plate in front of him. He takes a quick sip of his espresso before returning the favour, allowing her to taste his desert.  
"You know, neither of us should be indulging so heavily." Mackenzie finally manages through a bite.  
"I know, but I think you deserve it." He places his fork on his empty plate and she follows.  
"Thank you."  
"For what?"  
"For just being you and trying to help me through this incredibly difficult time. I really just needed someone who didn't mind me being in a mood."

"You, in a mood?" he pauses, cocking his head to the side, "you can hardly blame yourself for feeling the way you have."  
"I suppose you're right." She replies staring down at the cake in front of her for a moment.  
"You know I'm right. Let's not ruin this afternoon with craziness. Let's just chill and then we'll go to the dojo to train all this fat off. I can't have my girlish figure ruined in a moment of deliciousness." He states.  
"I totally agree." She giggles and turns to retrieve her wallet from her purse.  
"I got this." Methos reaches across the table to stop her.  
"Thank you." She stops mid pull of a crisp twenty dollar note. "So where to next?" she inquires with a tilt of the chin.  
"You'll see." He places the needed cash in the small file on the table and they make their way to his car. "A drive— to one of my favourite places when I need a pick me up." They get in and he starts the engine.

Pulling his car into a slot, Methos and Mackenzie get out of the car and she follows him towards an overgrown entrance to a hiking trail.  
"Awesome. I didn't even know that this was here." Mackenzie looks around and takes in her surroundings. "This is absolutely beautiful. I can see why you enjoy decompressing here." She stops and watches the river weave through the combination of smooth and jagged rocks. They walk together for the rest of the time in a comfortable silence, neither wanting to break the spell of their moment. To her, it was as though he knew exactly how she was feeling and knew exactly what to do to help her through it. When they arrive at a clearing, Methos leads her towards a fallen tree and they sit for a moment listening to the muffled sound of the woods. The sound of cracking trees in the distance breaking the comfortable silence.

Arriving home, Mackenzie opens the car door thinking she will have to grab all of her things, only to find Methos already collecting her belongings.  
"Let's bag training." He says with a smirk. "We had a wonderful hike."  
"Just for today." She replies and they head inside. "May I offer you something to eat?" she asks removing her boots and Methos drapes his jacket over a hook.  
"Actually, I have plans with Joe and Duncan." He replies.  
"Well, then a hot chocolate?"  
"Sounds lovely." He follows her into the kitchen and perches himself at the breakfast bar to watch as she flits about the kitchen getting the ingredients for their treat. Once they finish their hot chocolates, Methos helps put the mugs in the sink.  
"Leave that. I'll get it. You have to get going, or you'll be late for your dinner date with the boys." She shoos him out of the kitchen and follows him to the entry.

"See you tomorrow for training?" she inquires as he opens the door.  
"Sure. See you then." He motions for her to close the door to keep warm. Once he's gone, Mackenzie makes her way to the kitchen to make something quick for dinner so that she can get to some reading that she wanted to finish before the repeat of craziness. Tests, exams and paper writing. Finishing her meal, she tidies up then heads to her pile of books. Selecting a couple, she heads to the living room and sets herself on the sofa, a soft warm blanket over her feet and a book in her lap— a highlighter poised to serve its purpose, she quickly skims through the text. Reading for anything other than demon research feels very funny, almost foreign. Yet she knows that Methos is right and that everything will eventually balance out. My relationship with Giles is solid – There is no way that this issue on its own wields enough power to blow us apart, she muses as she turns her attention to the words on the page.

Ignoring the heaviness of her eyelids, Mackenzie ploughs through the text only to finally succumb to the need to sleep. Without realising it, she has dropped her book and the highlighter follows, landing soundlessly on the soft carpeted floor— as she allows her head to rest on the pillow. So exhausted by riding her emotional rollercoaster, her heart rate finally calms and her breathing follows— she awakens only to the far-off sound of her cell phone ringing. Opening her eyes, she quickly realises where she is and sits up, the blanket falling to the floor. Standing, she follows the sound of the phone, now half hidden under the blanket. Not bothering to check the caller ID, she quickly answers the call.  
"Hello?" she inquires, thankful her voice holds no evidence of her earlier slumber.  
"Kenzie dear, Jason has had an accident." Her mother's frantic voice runs over her like a cold shower.  
"Mom, what happened?"  
"Can you just get here?"  
"Of course. I'll just throw a few things in a bag."  
"Joe and Duncan are on their way over."

Figures, she muses as she quickly makes her way upstairs to grab a few necessities to throw into a large duffle bag.  
"I'll see you soon mum. I love you." She finishes with the things she knows she doesn't have at home just as the doorbell rings. "Coming!" she calls as she quickly makes her way downstairs and opens the door. "What happened?" she asks as Duncan grabs her bag and she puts on her coat, grabs her purse and keys, checking that the door is locked behind her.  
"There was a car accident and he's hurt pretty badly." Duncan quickly explains as they make their way to the car.  
"Car accident?" her voice is small as she feels the blood drain from her body. "He's going to be okay though?"  
"The doctors don't know anything as yet. They still have a series of tests to run yet." He says as Joe pulls the car into traffic.

The drive somehow doesn't feel as long as it has in the past when she had no other thoughts in her mind, except visiting her family and enjoying time out with friends. This time; however, her mind remained only on her brother and willing him to live. When they arrive at the hospital, her senses are immediately assaulted with the sights and smells of the sick and the energy of fear and uncertainty. He has to be okay, she chants silently in her mind as they find her parents with a doctor outside a closed curtain.  
"Mom! Dad!" she makes her way towards her parents and launches herself into their arms. The doctor waits for a moment.  
"We're still running a few tests to be sure that there is no further internal injuries or bleeding." He closes the metal clipboard shut and shoves his pen in the pocket of his white coat.  
"Thank you, doctor Brodie." Her father says as they shake hands. She watches, eyes wet with tears as the doctor disappears down the hall and around a corner.

"So what happened?" she inquires with more confidence.  
"Jason and Kate had some sort of falling out last night. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I do know that it's upset him immensely and he was on his way home from a friend's."  
"I thought he was living at home?" her expression one of confusion.  
"Jason was up north at Kevin's cottage."  
"Oh right! The boys first weekend. I forgot all about that." She pauses for a moment. "Mom, I've been so preoccupied with drama in my own life, that I've been neglecting my phone." She looks down at her feet.  
"Anyways, they had their first official fight. And from what Kate said it was pretty bad. He was on his way home when the driver who struck his car had a massive heart attack."

"Oh, mom." Mackenzie's voice breaks and she sinks into an empty chair.  
"The doctors say he's stable, but they want to be sure that all the tests come back before they move him up to a room. Something about priority when coming from emergency, or something." She sits beside Mackenzie as Joe and Duncan come around the corner.  
"Can I see him?"  
"Yes, of course. Just keep in mind all the equipment."  
"Sure, like with Buffy's mom."  
"How is Joyce? Have the doctors figured out what's going on yet?"  
"Working on it. She has had a tumour removed. Right now it's the waiting game. Buffy and Dawn are spending as much time with her as they can. I hear there will be more tests but, fingers crossed, everything will be okay."  
"Some good news at least." Mackenzie nods and stands.  
"I'll be back." She takes a breath to prepare herself and draws the curtain aside.

"Jason, how could this happen to you?" she whispers as she makes her way towards his still form. I.V. lines, the constant beep of the heart rate monitor, other flashing lights and softer beeps, and a breathing tube greet her. Mackenzie sits beside the bed and fishes for an I.V.-free hand. She cups her hands around his and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "I love you, you know that right?" she says, hoping that everything that she has read about talking to patients is true. Even if it is horseshit, she'll continue if nothing else to calm her own frayed nerves. "Mom told me about Kate." She continues to stroke the back of his hand with soft, loving strokes. "She loves you too, I'm sure." She would have stuck out her tongue in a sisterly fashion had he been awake, but she would have to settle for the machine as a constant answer.

"I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you. Giles and I are having problems. I know what you're going to say. My way of omitting information, thinking to spare him from something totally backfired. And you would be right." She takes a deep breath. "Before you say, 'I told you so' just listen. He's like me." She drops her head momentarily and can feel him gently squeeze her fingers. "Jay?" she opens her eyes and only finds that his eyes are still closed, but the eyeballs clearly fluttering underneath their bruised lids. "There's the 'I told you so' part eh?" she smiles through the tears and calms herself enough to continue. "I love him so much it hurts to breathe, but there is nothing that I can say or do that will change his mind to ever believe in me again."

"Trust is the cornerstone of a relationship— and without it, you may as well not have the relationship. I swear to you that this is the only thing that I haven't told him about. We've been through so much already, but I just didn't know how. His world is already so damn complicated with Buffy and the big bad, that I thought that this on top of everything else might result in a loss of focus." She bows her head again in defeat. "Once again, I'm wrong." She stops herself mid-thought. "And here you lie in some sort of coma? Or shock? Or whatever, and I'm once again being your spoiled brat of a sister." She almost has to laugh. "Get yourself better so you can tell me off." She manages as she feels her mother's hand on her shoulder.

"He'll pull through."  
"I know mom. We have to have patience with him is all." She pauses for a moment. "Is Kate coming to see him?"  
"She's in the waiting room. I think the doctors said something about family only at the moment."  
"She's probably in such a state." Mackenzie squeezes Jason's hand again. "Seriously dude, get better." She quickly leans towards him.  
"I love you." She whispers into his ear before kissing his cheek and heading towards the curtain.  
"Don't give her a hard time. I think she's upset enough." Her mother warns.  
"I wouldn't dream of it." She replies and heads towards the waiting room.

 _My eyes must be playing tricks on me_ , she hardly has a chance to think as she sees Giles turning around. Their eyes meet momentarily, saying more than words ever could in any situation.  
"Giles!"  
"Kenzie, my love I came as soon as Adam told me." He quickly closes the distance between them. "How could you not call me?" his concern evident in his tone.  
"Giles, we haven't spoken in how long? How am I to call you when Buffy needs you most?"  
"You and I have things to discuss— that is true, but all of that can wait. You need emotional support that a partner provides no matter what."  
"Thank you." Is all she can manage as the block of ice in her chest remains.

"Kate, I'm so sorry." She sits beside the emotional brunette.  
"We had a stupid fight," Kate says through another sob. "I can't believe this has happened— and the worst part is that they won't let me see him." She dabs at the tears with a tissue.  
"Hang on." Mackenzie hands her another tissue before standing and making her way towards the nurse's station.  
"Excuse me."  
"Yes?" a nurse says looking up from her mountain of paperwork.  
"Could you please tell me why my soon-to-be-sister-in-law has not been allowed to visit with my brother?"  
"She's his fiancée?" Mackenzie nods and the nurse glances over at the distraught young woman. "By all means, let her see him. I suppose in all of the commotion, no one even thought that she might be family."  
"Thank you." Mackenzie smiles sweetly and makes her way back to the group sitting in the waiting area. She suddenly notices how many more people have joined their little group.

"Hey Kate, go on in," Mackenzie says gently. "Curtain eleven is where they've hidden him away." She adds as Giles gently helps the young lady up and another friend takes her through the door.  
"Thanks, Giles." Mackenzie sits in a vacant seat just away from the group and he follows. "We will talk, just not now." She adds taking a deep breath. "You know what?"  
"What?"  
"I've had enough of the sight and smell of hospitals to last me a lifetime. Between supporting Buffy with her mother and now this, I don't think I could take something else." She realises that she just jinxed them by saying exactly what she had been thinking.  
"I know what you mean love." He states as he takes the vacant seat next to her and carefully extends his arm to cradle her into his chest to offer her comfort— she rests her ear against his heart and allows its steady rhythm calm her frayed nerves.

Sitting in silence, Mackenzie and Giles await information while the rest of the group nervously chat.  
"Here baby doll." Mackenzie's mother says gently, holding out a paper cup of hot chocolate. Giles accepts the cups and sets his coffee aside to nudge Mackenzie back to reality.  
"Oh, thanks." She says as if coming out of a trance-like state, she accepts the paper cup and cautiously blows the hot liquid before taking a tentative sip. Giles sits back in his seat and removes the plastic lid from the cup. Setting the paper cup aside, he waits for it to cool for a bit before replacing the lid and pulling back the perforated section to take a sip.  
"Have you heard anything?" he asks Janelle as she sits next to Mackenzie, places her arm around her daughter's slumped shoulders and presses her forehead against hers before placing a gentle kiss on Mackenzie's temple. "Nothing as yet. The doctors said at this point that no news should actually be considered good news." She replies still comforting Mackenzie.

"I don't get it," Mackenzie says under her breath.  
"Don't get what dear?" Giles inquires gently.  
"Why do bad things happen to people who have done nothing to deserve them?"  
"I wish I had an answer, my love. Life is full of the unexpected and never forget that we are never given any more than we can cope with."  
"But Giles, if you truly think about it, as a collective, we have been given far more than the average wouldn't you say?"  
"The Hellmouth has a tendency to truly put things into an extremely different perspective. Perhaps if we lived somewhere else, things would be different. However, this is our life and we need to accept our challenges and overcome them."  
"Giles, what you just said actually means far more than you'll ever know," Mackenzie says, thinking how fitting his thoughts are and how easily they could be applied to their present situation.

"Thank you, Mackenzie," Kate says as she emerges from the emergency doors.  
"Hey, no problem. I hope you just said whatever needed to be said." She smiles as Giles takes her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze before gently tracing his thumb over the back of her hand in light circles. In that moment, Mackenzie knew that he truly understood what she had said earlier.  
"I did. I know that no one knows for sure if someone in Jason's situation can actually hear what is said by those around them, but I had to try right?" she says through the tears. Mackenzie stands and wraps Kate in a comforting embrace. Kate lets the tears fall and they work their way through Mackenzie's shirt.

"I'm glad you laid it out on the line," Mackenzie whispers. "That takes a lot of guts." She adds as they pull apart and return to the waiting area. Giles reaches out and runs his hand up and down Mackenzie's back.  
"Mom, there really isn't anything more we can do here. Let me go home and make something for dinner and bring it back. You'll call me if there is a change?" she picks up her jacket and purse.  
"I'll go with her and help." Giles stands and quickly puts on his jacket.  
"Oh honey, you don't need to do that." Her mother's reaction typical for the situation. "Your father and I will just grab something when we're hungry."  
"Look, I need to be useful," Mackenzie says as she zips up her jacket. Her mother reluctantly nods.  
"You're right. We've redone your bedroom so that you have somewhere to stay."  
"Thanks, mom." She hugs her mother and takes Giles by the hand pulling him to the exit.

Borrowing Joe's car keys, Mackenzie and Giles make their way to the parking lot. The drive to her parent's home is quiet as she navigates through the busy streets of Seacouver. They get out of the car and Giles quickly grabs their bags and follows Mackenzie to the front doors.

"Home sweet home." She says opening the door and reaches for the familiar light switch. Giles smiles and places the bags at the foot of the stairs, they remove their jackets. He watches Mackenzie as she hangs her jacket up takes his from him and places it on the hook beside hers, then places her purse on the hall table. "Let's hit the kitchen." She leads the way through the hallway to the kitchen with Giles on her heels.

"Are you sure you want to take on such a challenge?" Giles inquires from the door. She turns from the fridge, closes the door enough to see him.  
"Of course." She replies with a smile. He grins seeing for the first time in a long while the twinkle in her eyes that had been absent for some time and he is glad of the slow return.  
"Then what are we making?" he makes his way to the kitchen island and awaits her instruction.  
"Something fairly easy." She pulls fresh vegetables from the crisper.  
"A pasta dish?"  
"You know me so well." She finds some meat her mother had tossed in the freezer. "Perfect! Lasagna it is."

Together, Mackenzie and Giles prepare the dish for the oven, chopping vegetables, making the meat sauce and cooking the pasta noodles. Once the dish is in the oven and the timer set, Giles starts to rinse off the dishes while Mackenzie loads the dishwasher. With the moment feeling right, Mackenzie wraps her arms around Giles from behind and nuzzles his neck with her nose.  
"Thank you so much."  
"For what?" he lets the warmth of her tone wash over him.  
"For putting everything aside and being here for my family," she pauses. "For being here for me."  
"How could I not?" he wraps her in his arms and captures her lips with his. "I love you, no matter what."

"But you were so incredibly angry." She steps back and takes a breath.  
"Mackenzie love, it was just a lot to take in all at once," he turns within her embrace. "Besides, my love"  
"What?"  
"I could not help but wonder if it was so easy for you to hide something as significant as that from me, what else might there be?"  
"Oh Giles, I swear that I only meant to wait until the right moment to tell you. I didn't want you to find out the way you did, which is exactly what happened to me. This life isn't a choice, it isn't something that you can say 'hey, I don't want any part of this'. This is something that you **must** accept. Although, in some cases, immortals have been in the position of not wanting anything to do with the game— Darius, knowing the rule concerning holy ground, became a monk to avoid the whole terrible reality. As much as I hope to have a relatively 'normal' life if living in Sunnydale has taught me one thing that is isn't going to happen— I have accepted my potential and am in the processes of preparing for whatever happens."

"What if it happens my dear heart?" he inquires with a frown, his eyebrows knitting together slightly just as he removes his glasses and quickly wipes them with the clean cloth he keeps in his pocket.  
"It happens and I will most likely assume the same role as Adam, Methos rather. I hope that I will be lucky enough to have no witnesses to my death that would place a mark on me to the extent that the Watcher's Council finds out the truth."  
"You are quite the little minx now." Giles smiles at the thought of her assuming the position of a double agent.  
"It takes a bit of finesse, but Methos is living proof of the possibility." She finishes placing the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and retrieves the soap from the cupboard. "I know that this isn't the life you expected to have. I know that it will be hard if either one or both of us experience a violent death and wind up tossed into a game of chance. I know that if you had a choice, you probably wish that you hadn't let Duncan and I in on your lives, but."

"Kenzie, you are the most welcome addition to my life. Over the past few days, I have done nothing but think about what my life was like prior to meeting you, having you in my life, and what my life might be like if we parted. I cannot fathom not having you in my life. You are a gift sent to me by whatever deity exists and I will not allow a few minor hiccoughs take you away from me." He watches as she presses the button for the cycle before turning back to a cupboard and retrieving a pair of wine glasses.  
"I'm not sure exactly who is responsible for our meeting, but like you, I am and will forever be grateful for their involvement." She pulls a bottle of blush wine from the wine chiller and opens it. Carefully pouring the nectar into the awaiting wine glasses, she sets the bottle aside. "To forgiveness and new beginnings." She toasts with a bright smile. Giles nods and returns her smile, clicking his glass against hers.  
"And to continued love and happiness." He adds and they sip their wine in a comfortable silence.

While their exchange puts Mackenzie at ease on the outside— on the inside, she still can feel the slight distance between them. Best to take things slowly, she muses to herself, as Giles follows suit placing his wine glass on the countertop next to hers.  
"So how's the research going?" Mackenzie inquires almost shyly.  
"We're still trying to translate another text," Giles replies tilting his head to the side. "It feels as though as soon as we make the slightest of headway, it quickly vanishes." He sighs.  
"Sorry to hear that. I'll take a look at the text if you like." She offers with a smile. Together, they put together something to eat. Giles sets the table while Mackenzie finishes the salad— he removes the garlic bread from the oven and places the pieces in a basket lined with a serviette.

Cutting into the lasagna, Mackenzie sets the pasta one of the plates with quickly tossed salad greens with vinaigrette. Picking up their plates, Mackenzie makes her way to the table and her smile brightens as he pulls her chair out for her as she places their plates on the table.  
"Thank you, Giles." She sits and he gently pushes her towards the table.  
"Everything looks good." He says taking his seat in front of her. She looks down at her plate for a moment. "What is it my love?" he reaches across the table and takes her hand in his.  
"It's just all so much." She replies softly taking a deep breath. He knew her all too well— knew that she was overly emotionally charged and that the tears she had managed to keep under wraps were mere moments from falling.

Trying not to cry, she squeezes his hand back and they turn their attention to their meal.  
"Jason will be fine." He says with a gentle smile. Mackenzie returns his smile and nods in agreement. "He's a strong, young man— who has all the support one in his place could possibly need. You and your family are the closest, next to the Scooby gang, I have encountered in a very long time. Even Jason's girlfriend, Kate seems to truly be part of the family." His observation striking a chord with Mackenzie and she realises just how hard it must have been for Giles to break into her close-knit family— even her extended family was incredibly tight.  
"I know he's way stronger then I could ever hope to be." She replies in thought.  
"That's not true my love. I've watched as you faced opponents with a grace and courage I have only observed in the Slayer."

"Faith as well I suppose."  
"Faith was plain reckless. She knew her place, yet refused to grow into the role as Buffy embraced it with an ease and grace. I must add, I lacked when I first found out about my own impending immortality." His eyes flick away from hers towards the plate of food in front of him that has suddenly become very interesting. She maintains her smile and waits for a moment before speaking.  
"Giles," she reaches for his forearm and rests her hand gently upon before squeezing to reassure him, "Trust me when I say this. It took me quite some time to accept who, or rather, what I may be. It's truly one thing to be hand chosen to be a Watcher, but then to find out that you might become one of the observed is, well," she pauses, "let me just say that I like my head attached to my body. My biggest fear is dying a violent death and then having to be thrown into a senseless 'game' that no one truly wins. I think Darius had it right when he tried to stay away from all of it."

"Mackenzie, my dear— the truth of the matter is we cannot nor should we try to run from who we are, or who we will be. In the short time away from you, I have quickly come to realise just how dull my life would be without you. I cannot bear the thought of losing you to my own selfishness."  
"Giles." She pauses, putting her cutlery on the plate and moving to take it to the kitchen. "I wish this was a better time to have this conversation." She doesn't want to hurt his feelings, but having a heart-to-heart conversation about the future, while her brother is lying in a hospital bed and Buffy's mother's health is uncertain. "In our short time apart, my heart hasn't quite gotten over the possibility of our never being together."  
"It doesn't have to be that way." He smiles before pushing his chair away from the table and gathering the remaining dishes. "We should be getting back to the hospital with the food." He adds and quickly rinses the dishes before placing them on the plastic coated wire racks in the stainless steel dishwasher.

Arriving at the hospital, Mackenzie quickly finds her parents and organises their meal, spreading it out along a vacant gurney.  
"What if they need it?" her mother asks quietly.  
"I'd like to see them try taking it," Mackenzie replies simply as she spoons a generous helping of pasta onto two plastic plates while Giles pours tea into plastic cups from a thermos.  
"Oh thank you, Giles. I haven't had a decent cup of tea in hours." Her mother sips the steaming liquid and enjoys the sensation of calmness that washes over her.  
"So how is he?" Mackenzie asks while her parents eat.  
"The doctors have him stable, which is good."  
"But?" she prompts.  
"They just need a few more test results before they move him to a room." Her father fills them in.

"He's strong." She says gently as she places a comforting hand on her mother's slumped shoulders— the only response is a soft whimper, a futile attempt to stifle a sniffle. "Hey, he has to be okay. Who else will razz Giles when he's wrong?" her question receiving a chorus of laughter. "That's what we need. Positivity." She helps dish the remaining pasta and sits in one of the many vacant plastic seats in the waiting room.  
"Go in and talk to him. He always listened to you." Her father reaches out and gently taps her shoulder in the direction of the double doors.  
"You're right. Besides, he shouldn't be alone." She saunters over towards the doors. "You'll be here when I get back?" she inquires, quickly giving Giles a look. He nods his response and watches as she disappears behind the doors.

Approaching the curtain, her heart rate increases slightly. She pulls the curtain back and watches as his chest rises and falls to the rhythm of the machine that pumps air into his lungs and listens to the various beeping sounds. Closing the distance, Mackenzie reaches out and brushes the wisp of his bang aside then sits in the chair beside his bed.  
"Wake up sleepy head." She whispers in his ear. "You're going to miss the wedding." She adds with a slight smile on her lips. "You're not so far away, are you?" she asks as the hand she gently holds is squeezed. "Wake up and I'll tell you all about it." She continues the fabrication in hopes of his opening his eyes.  
"I don't know what you just said to him, but I suspect that he heard you." A nurse says from her spot.  
"I didn't know you were there." Mackenzie untangles herself from him and moves to allow the nurse the access she needs.  
"Thank you." She pauses in her work, "your brother is very strong. He has a lot to live for and I suspect that he knows it." Her smile is as warm as her voice and it puts Mackenzie at ease.  
"Yeah, he's something else." She replies watching as the nurse makes a few adjustments to the I.V. and other apparatus helping to keep him stable.

Watching as the nurse makes her way out, Mackenzie then returns to her place beside her brother.  
"You seriously have to get better." She sighs quietly and gently picks up his hand, stroking in methodical motions waiting for him to respond once more. "If you don't, I'll have to kick your ass." She adds with a smirk. Unable to fight the feeling of fatigue that washes over her, she closes her eyes for a moment, surrendering to the comfort of slumber.  
"Mackenzie love." Giles' voice sounds so far from where she is, but the warm and gentle caress of his strong hand on her shoulder brings her back to earth.  
"Huh?" her eyes finally snap open and she quickly recalls where she is, "I must have dozed off." She pauses for a moment.

"What is it?" concern is evident in his voice and she looks up at him with a smile.  
"Jason squeezed my hand." She says quietly and gently runs her fingers up his arm.  
"I take that as a positive sign." Giles lifts her off the bed and guides her towards the curtain. "I think its best that I get you home to rest." She shakes her head and opens her mouth to protest, but stops herself mid-thought. "You're parents are going to stay. Janelle said she would call should anything change." She merely nods in agreement and allows him to guide her out towards the waiting room.  
"Kenzie, go home with Giles. There's really nothing more that can be done until he wakes." Her mother hugs her tightly and rubs her back. Reluctantly Mackenzie nods and hugs her parent's goodbye before joining Giles once more.

A few days later finds Mackenzie happy to be in her brother's company, laughing and joking. Giles is sitting in one of the chairs watching while her parents leave to get coffee. His cell phone snaps him to reality and he checks the caller ID.  
"Mackenzie dear, I have to take this." He says standing. She nods and he slips out the door.  
"What is it Buffy?" he asks, causing her to start.  
"Giles, I really need your help with this Glory thing," Buffy says, despite the fear she tries to sound confident. He pauses in thought for a moment and glances through the open door at Mackenzie and her brother talking quietly. "What's happened?" he inquires in a hushed tone so as not to alert Mackenzie or anyone else around him for that matter.

"As if the orb of whatever thingy, the monks, and the she-bitch god herself— we now have these odd knights of god-knows-what trying to kill us. Giles, this is getting ridiculous! And my mother isn't getting any better." Her voice cracks with emotion and knowing his Slayer as well as he does, he takes a moment in thought before offering a solution.  
"Buffy, right now you need to concentrate on your mother. As long as no one else knows about Dawn, it will be fairly easy to keep her safe until we can figure out exactly how to save the world— again." He can hear her faint chuckle on the other end of the line. "That's my girl. Mackenzie and I will be home soon. Spend the time with your mother and we'll work everything else out." He senses her ease and closes the phone, which he then places in his breast pocket.

Giles; however, is unable to cover his perplexed expression fast enough.  
"What was that about?" Mackenzie's voice reveals her concern. Giles runs his hand through his hair before locking his gaze on her.  
"That was Buffy." Mackenzie tries not to pout, knowing the relationship between them is purely student/mentor— instead, she smiles warmly and links her arm through his.  
"Giles, I understand. There's really no need to explain. Things here are settling down, so we need to make our way home." She leans into him and presses her temple against his arm.  
"I did tell her to spend as much time with her mother as she can. Hopefully, Dawn doesn't figure out her significance and things will return to whatever is 'normal' for us."

"'Normal' for us doesn't exist, Giles. When are you going to get that?" she smiles as they head towards her family. "Jason's getting out of here soon right?" she asks her mother, who turns to greet her.  
"The doctor said that as long as he rests, he can come home. I said I would take charge and they agreed." Her mother's smile puts her at ease.  
"Great! Then I can go home with Giles?" she waits for the inevitable 'no' from her parents.  
"I would normally pull the mother guilt trip and get you to stay, but honey you've been here for us for three weeks. It's time you went home." She closes the distance between them and embraces Mackenzie, kissing her temple gently before releasing her. "You have a different kind of life now. Your priorities have shifted and that's okay." Mackenzie nearly rolls her eyes.  
"Where was all this logic when I was younger?"  
"Always the dutiful daughter." Her father says with a wink. "Now get out of here. We'll call if things change." He adds and they say their goodbyes before Giles and Mackenzie head back to the house to pack to go home.

Whatever awaits them, they both know that it can't be anymore trying than any of the other foes Buffy, Giles, and the Scobbies have already saved the world from. Mackenzie stares out the window, watching the scenery go by, lost in thought.  
"What is it, my love?" Giles inquires, bringing her back from her reverie.  
"Oh, I was just trying to wrap my head around everything that's going on with Buffy. How exactly does the universe conspire against one person so directly?"  
"How do you mean?"  
"Well, let's see. First, there was the Master, followed by The Judge," she pauses. "Oh, and the Mayor along with Faith doesn't really help matters. And then there was Adam."

"Now, we have Joyce down with a mysterious illness that the doctors can't seem to figure out. Dawn who's the key to something we're still unsure of. The She-Bitch of an I-don't-quite-know-what Glory. And have I mentioned the Medieval Knights that are running around trying to kill them."  
"Which we are driving right into?" he adds with a hint of sarcasm that makes her smile.  
"Exactly. When is it that we get a 'normal' life Giles?" she pauses in thought. "I was so looking forward to meeting your family and." She stops herself.  
"Setting a date?" he supplies with love in his voice.  
"Is that a proposal?" she turns to see his expression.  
"In time." He replies a smug expression caresses his face for a split second as he navigates into his parking slot.

They get out of the car and collect their belongings then turn towards the building.  
"Home sweet, home." She states under her breath. "Giles?"  
"Yes dear." He turns towards her.  
"I don't want to be alone tonight." He smiles warmly while wrapping his free arm around her slender waist and leading her through the courtyard to his flat. She moulds her body into his and lets him, without another word, lead her. Once inside, they drop their bags with two solid thuds and in a comforting silence, he threads his fingers with hers and leads her upstairs to the bedroom. Closing the door behind them, they continue to undress in silence and climb into his double antique wooden framed bed and allow sleep to wash over them.  
"Good night Giles." Mackenzie utters under her sleep infused breath.  
"Good night, my love," Giles replies just as sleepily.

The next morning is bright, as the sun seeps through the open drapes and bathes the room in her warmth, kissing their faces ever so gently. Mackenzie groans loudly in protest, while Giles rolls over, taking her in his arms in one fell swoop. He nuzzles his nose into the soft skin at the base of her neck where it meets her satiny shoulder and inhales her unique scent. Keeping his eyes closed, he enjoys the feeling of her body cradled by his and begins to draw little circles on her shoulder blade with his nose. The gentle caresses cause her to stir, and she begins to slowly come alive— stretching and turning into his embrace, she sighs in contentment before pressing her nose against his.  
"Good morning handsome." She smiles widely at the man whose naked body is only covered by the sheet, his strong torso exposed.  
He takes a deep breath as though deep in thought.  
"Good morning." He replies with a grin and tosses the offending sheet aside. She watches as he gracefully swings his strong legs over the edge of the bed, his bare feet landing on the wool carpet. Mackenzie takes her time to follow suit— only, she dangles her feet over the carpet while plucking her silk robe from the foot of the bed. After taking care of nature's call, a quick shave and shower, and brushing his teeth, Giles heads downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast. While the coffee perks, he opens the fridge to see what he can toss together while Mackenzie readies herself for the day. They both know that the Hellmouth never sleeps and that its' only a matter of time before one— or all of the Scobby Gang arrive with a problem, a question, or need to talk to him.

To his sheer surprise, the knock on the door isn't an official club member, rather Buffy's younger sister Dawn.  
"Dawn, what is it?" Giles' voice holds his concern— Mackenzie pauses at the top of the stairs afraid to interrupt their moment.  
"Giles, I'm tired of everyone treating me like I'm a baby!" she replies as she passes, leaving him to close the door in her wake.  
"Whatever do you mean?" he attempts to play the dumb card but can tell in an instant that she isn't that stupid and reads through his facade.  
"If Buffy doesn't have me babysitting mom, she's either babysitting or having someone watch over **me**." Her tone that of a sulky fourteen-year-old as she plops herself into the comfy green sofa. Grabbing a pillow, she pulls her leg up and perches herself atop of it, cradling the pillow in her lap. Giles cannot help but roll his eyes at her dramatic entrance, removes his glasses— in his usual manner, quickly cleans them and makes his way to sit in the vacant spot beside her.

"Dawn, the reality is that it isn't safe for you right now. No matter how independent or grown up you think you are." He pauses hoping not to injure her clearly tattered ego.  
"It's just that Xander and Anya are always around... And Buffy, she's **killing** herself to have me hang out with mom twenty-four-seven, or she's with me. What did I do this time?" her tone demanding.  
"You didn't do anything. You're you and we're all just trying to make sure that you're safe during a time in which the Hellmouth is turning and spitting and Lord only knows what else is brewing. Your sister, no matter how annoying she says you are, no matter how much it appears that she cannot stand you, loves you and only wants you to be safe."  
"Like she does the rest of Sunnydale?" he shakes his head in silent disagreement. She sighs loudly just as Mackenzie makes her way downstairs.

"Hey Dawn!" she smiles brightly and makes her way to the sofa— sitting in the last place next to Dawn, who has calmed down somewhat, cannot stop herself from brushing a stray strand of hair back into place behind her ear. "That's better." She smiles warmly as Dawn lets her head fall back against the back cushions. "I didn't hear much, but everything will eventually return to normal— or at least something that resembles normal." She adds and Dawn finally smiles. "We were just about to have breakfast, have you eaten?" she is answered by Dawn shaking her head no, her long mousy locks bounce around her shoulders. "How does Giles' homemade pancakes sound?"  
"Delish!" Dawn's reply comes with a bright smile. Giles tilts his head, stands, and mentally kicking himself for answering the door, makes his way to the kitchen— their quiet breakfast now a threesome.

The girls remain in the living room and chat quietly.  
"Dawn, would you like something to drink?" Mackenzie asks as she stands. "I think we have some orange juice."  
"Yes please, that sounds great." She stands and follows, only stopping at the pass through to watch Giles and Mackenzie manoeuvre around each other in the cosy space. "The two of you really should consider living in Kenzie's place. It's more comfortable." She stops herself as Mackenzie places the glass in front of her.  
"There's a yes and no with that." Mackenzie smiles and leans towards Dawn. "I think the first reason would be the gang making my place a permanent meeting spot," Giles smirks at the thought of their moving in together— he hadn't had the chance to truly think about it. All of the goings on around them tended to keep them away from making actual plans to fly to England for his family to meet his girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancée— as he had been secretly making plans on the proposal, then marry, and together look for and purchase a home to start their family.

Family, he thinks to himself. One not of adoption, rather one of flesh and blood— the thought of having everything fall so perfectly into place takes him away from flipping a pancake.  
"Uh, Giles honey."  
"Wha?" he pauses, "Oh great!" he slides the burned pancake out of the pan and quickly starts the task again. He keeps his thoughts to himself and tries to concentrate— although he cannot help but hope that they can get through this latest situation in time for him to book their trip to his home. His mind is once again brought back to reality as the door flings open.  
"There you are!" Buffy's voice rings through the apartment into the kitchen. Mackenzie watches as Dawn's posture dramatically changes— her shoulders slump and she allows her head to bow. "I've been everywhere looking for you." With a hand on her slender hip, Buffy quickly makes her way towards her sister.

"Here I am, safe and sound," Dawn says quietly under her breath.  
"I thought I told you **not** to leave without letting me know where." She stops herself mid-thought. "Giles, tell her she can't just pull something like this again."  
"Dawn, your sister worries about you and wants to keep you safe. Perhaps you may consider letting her know where you're going until we know for certain that it's safe for you to be out and about on your own." He says in his diplomatic tone. Dawn only rolls her eyes and sighs loudly.  
"We're going," Buffy announces and in one swift movement is at Dawn's side, hauling her up by her arm.  
"Hey, you're hurting me." The younger Summers squeaks in protest as she manages to, not so gracefully, catch her balance.  
"We were just going to have breakfast." She turns to face her sister, her hair snaps her cheek.  
"Giles, I." Buffy stops herself mid-sentence. "Oh, my." She releases Dawn's arm and the young woman plops herself back onto the awaiting sofa. "Dawn, I'm." She stammers, unable to properly formulate a reason for her outburst.  
"Buffy, why not stay and have something to eat with us. Then you and Dawn can come with me to the Magic Shop to train." Giles suggests kindly. Dawn lets the breath she had been holding escape as Buffy catches his glare and nods her ascent.

Arriving at the Magic shop, Giles, Buffy, and Dawn let the door close behind them. Buffy and Giles head to the gym tucked away to train while Dawn casually makes her way towards the plethora of books on the various shelves.  
"So, how's the research coming?" Willow inquires as Dawn pulls another book off a shelf.  
"Not so much research as doing my homework." Dawn huffs as she closes her math book with a loud thud.  
"Dawnie, it really isn't that bad you know? I mean, things will return to normal soon enough and you'll be free to do as you please." Willow smiles brightly, her short red hair capturing the light and shines brightly like a flame that dances within a fireplace or hearth.  
"I know, I just wish that there was more I could do. Mom's still sick with nothing it seems. Buffy is going nuts with protecting me and I don't even know why. You and Tara only come around to babysit me, as does Xander and Anya. What else am I to think?  
"Don't think too hard. Just get whatever homework you have done so we can have a free evening to watch movies." Willow turns back towards one of the shelves and lifts a small bag of powder and carefully examines it before returning it to its place.


	11. Chapter 11

The general disclaimer can be found in the first chapter. Any dialogue from _The Body_ and _The Gift_ have been from the transcripts from Buffyworld. I have utilised my creative licence.

I would also like to thank all of you who have hung in thus far. I have officially completed the edit of my work from 2012 and am hopeful that I will be able to complete the story sooner rather than later. I have yet to weave my way through seasons six and seven. I'll get everyone returned to their proper creators within a reasonable time. I am grateful to have this opportunity and an audience to share with.

Happy reading!

The night air is fragrant with night blooms as Buffy patrols the lonely streets of Sunnydale in search of the things that go 'bump in the night'.  
"Slayer." His voice holds an underlying need and Buffy turns to see Spike leaning casually against the door to his crypt— arms folded neatly across his chest, a lit cigarette dangling casually from his lips.  
"Spike," Buffy replies, quickly glancing around to see if anyone else is present. Sensing and seeing no one, she quickly closes the distance, stopping just short of him and makes a grab for his wrists to unfold his arms. He doesn't resist her, instead allows her to easily open them, and press her petite body flush against his— his body naturally responds to her body heat and he closes his arms around her, tightening his control over her. She whimpers slightly as his hands wander down her back and rest on the curve of her tight jean clad behind. "Not here." She whispers, eyes fluttering in the pleasure of his nuzzling her shoulder.

Spike allows her to break free of his embrace just long enough to push him through the heavy door of his crypt. Closing the door behind them, Spike presses her roughly against it. Buffy doesn't cry out, only jumps to wrap her lean legs around his waist, pressing her arousal against his, she pulls his head down towards hers and claims his lips and him with hers. His rising need, teased by her own sets both aflame, and between nips, wet kisses, moans, and groans— articles of clothing are swiftly discarded. Her leather jacket— his tight black tee. Followed by her ruby red silk blouse— his leather belt. Her favourite black leather boots, then his biker boots. Finally her tight black denim jeans and his body-hugging black jeans. Lips pressed tightly, he sweeps her up in his arms and makes his way towards his bed.  
" **NOW!** " she orders, her words captured within his mouth. He pauses only for a moment.

Laying her down on the Persian rug, he looks down at her perfect, taut body— only a sexy little black filmy lace bra and matching panties provide some modesty. Her nipples pert through the fabric of her bra, he leans over her examining her one last time before hooking his thumbs under the fabric of her panties and pulling them down her legs— all the while nipping and kissing his way down her lean legs. She moans and thrashes under his attentions— awaiting his next move. Spike looks down at her once again, her arousal obvious as he reaches towards her curls, she bucks her hips up to meet his touch. He runs his fingers gently over the curls and just beyond— finding her ready for him.

Making her wait a moment longer, he tosses his briefs aside and takes his time in teasing her nipples through the lace, fingers pinching the budding nubs, she gasps under his ministrations. His lowers his head slowly towards her breasts and licks at the straining nipple through the fabric, the friction results in her bucking her hips towards him once more, only he keeps his straining member away from her silent pleas.

"Not yet my pet." He whispers from his spot between her breasts. In a quick movement, the clasp of her bra is undone and he is gently running the offending fabric down her arms. Spike immediately returns his attention to her breasts, the rose hue deepening with her need.

Licking and teasing each nipple, he alternates with pinching the nubs between fingers and thumb. She sighs in contentment as he raises his head and looks into her eyes for permission. He knows that he need not ask, but somehow wanting to protect her, to make her feel safe and loved always has a way of prevailing— if only for a moment, he claims her lips with his and spreads his body almost lovingly over hers. Feeling her open her legs for his entrance, he takes his cue and guides himself into her, gently despite her obvious bucking underneath. Pressing further, he pauses with her slight gasp and slows his entrance long enough for her to adjust to his girth, they begin their dance— a slow and steady sensual rhythm that increases with need and fire, their bodies reading each other, their climax is as violent as waves crashing into rocks at the foot of a cliff.

Buffy sighs loudly, her contentment written on her face, her vision finally no longer blurry she looks into his adoring eyes.  
"That good my pet?" he says with a satisfied expression on his face. She can only nod with a light whimper. "Me too." Is all he can manage as he feels his member soften within her sheath, he presses his lips affectionately against her temple before gently maneuvering his body to lie beside her— taking her in strong arms, he tenderly runs his fingers through her honey locks and trails kisses along the back of her neck.  
Their tender moment is broken with the shrill ring of Buffy's cell phone.  
"Who could be calling at this time?" she inquires under her breath as she untangles herself from her lover's embrace and reaches for her phone.  
"Buffy!" Dawn's voice is frantic on the other end of the line.  
"What is it?"  
"Mom."  
"I'll be right there," Buffy replies without prompting her sister to try to explain the issue. "Spike."  
"I know the drill pet." He says simply as he hands her an article of clothing and she turns away from him to dress. "I just wish." He begins.  
"That things were different?" she supplies with a soft sigh.  
"Yeah." He nods as she bends towards him to capture his lips with hers once more. Not another word shared between them as she finished dressing and makes a mad dash out of his crypt, through the cemetery towards her home, and whatever problem had her sister so frantic.

" **Dawn! Mom!** " Buffy hollers from the front door. Tossing her keys towards the bowl, not bothering to remove her boots or jacket, Buffy runs upstairs two at a time.  
"Buffy, we're in Dawn's room." Her mother's voice makes its way to her and she settles down slightly.  
"What?"  
"Mom had a really bad headache." Dawn began to explain.  
"I forgot to take my medication." Her mother looks down at her folded hands as though in preparation of Buffy's pending lecture.  
"Thank goodness. I thought it was actually something really bad." Buffy says with a sigh of relief, hoping that both her sister and mother missed the fear in her tone.

Although they felt that they would never be prepared to face their foe, Buffy had no idea that Glory would be the least of her worries. Another day of research, another day of training— another day of dealing with her sister has Buffy in a state of wanting to snip her responsibilities and take a much-needed break. She almost wished that she had classes, tests, papers, and regular issues like regular people, but being the Slayer, that is not to be. Deciding to take a breather from research, Buffy had left the gang early to go home and spend some sister-free time with her mother. Walking up the path to her front door, Buffy retrieves her house key and opens the door. The house is unusually quiet, but she figures that her mother might be upstairs having a rest or something.

"Hey mom," Buffy calls out to what feels like an empty home. A bright, cheerful bouquet of flowers that sits on the hall table catches her eye and she heads towards the arrangement. Plucking the card from its place tucked neatly within, she opens the envelope and smiles at the sentiment, a note thanking Joyce for a wonderful date. _Still a couple of guys gettin' it right_ , she muses as she puts her jacket down and turns her attention to the stairs.  
"Hey. Flower-gettin' lady. Want me to pick Dawn up from school?" frowning at the lack of response, Buffy looks down the hall towards the kitchen, half expecting her mother to pop her head around the corner.

"Mom?" she says as she turns her attention towards the living room. "What are you doing?" she steps further into the living room and stops dead in her tracks. On the sofa, her mother lies, eyes glassy and open— starring sightlessly at the ceiling. One arm hanging lifelessly over the edge of the sofa and there is no response to Buffy's entrance.  
"Mom?" Buffy's voice is quiet, almost childlike, "Mom?" she says taking a hesitant step towards her mother. "Mommy?" she says more to herself as she rushes over to her mother and frantically shakes her by the shoulders. "Mom! Mom! Mom!" she repeats repeatedly, before shouting " **MOM!** " into her mother's face—yet still, there is no reaction. Almost unsure of what to do next, Buffy gets up and goes to the kitchen where she picks up the cordless phone and dials 9-1-1, fidgeting anxiously while awaiting a response.

"9-1-1 emergency"  
"Hello?" Buffy's voice is small, almost childlike.  
"Do you have..." the operator is cut off by Buffy.  
"My mom, she—she's not breathing." She says trying to maintain her breathing.  
"Is she conscious?"  
"No. I-I-I can't, she, she's not breathing."  
"Okay, I need you to give me your address."  
"What?" Buffy says in a daze.  
"I'm gonna send an ambulance over."  
"Si-Sixteen-thirty Rivelo. It-it's a house. Rivelo near Hadley."  
"I'm sending a unit right away. Are you alone in the house?" the operator inquires.  
"Yes," Buffy replies.

"Well did you see what happened? Did she fall?"  
"No, no. I-I came home and she-what should I do?" she asks, fear in her tone.  
"Do you know how to administer CPR?"  
"No, I don't remember," Buffy says, her emotions overpowering her thoughts.  
"Okay, it's very simple. You want to tilt your mother's head back. Cover her mouth with yours and breathe into her mouth." The operator instructs in a calm tone. As though she were a robot, Buffy drops the phone, it slips to her side and she moves towards her mother— she can hear the muffled voice of the operator as she speaks to herself.

"I know this. I know this. God." She pushes the phone aside and takes a hold of her mother's legs, pulling Joyce down across the sofa so that she lies flat on the living room floor. "I can do this. Okay, okay." She tilt's her mother's head back, opening her mouth with slender fingers, she then pinches Joyce's nose and takes in as much air as she can to breathe into her mother's mouth. Beginning chest compressions, Buffy counts aloud. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight."  
Not seeing any result, her expression changes and once again she takes as much air in as she can manage and breathes into her mother's mouth. "One, two, three." She stops suddenly when she hears a loud crack. "Oh! Oh God!" reaching for the phone, "I, are you there? I, I broke something."

"Hello?" the operator's voice comes through.  
"It cracked."  
"Is she breathing?"  
"No," Buffy replies.  
"Paramedics should be there in a moment. You might have cracked a rib. It's not important." Suddenly something hits Buffy and she realises that her mother is stone cold.  
"She's cold." She says.  
"The body's cold?"  
"No, my mom! Sh-should I make her warm?"  
"If she's not responding to CPR, the best thing is to wait for the paramedics, okay?"  
"When will they be here?"  
"They're very nearby." The operator replies.

Dropping the phone to her side, Buffy glances towards the window and stands. A faint sound of a siren breaks the unbearable silence.  
"I have to make a call," Buffy says suddenly pressing the hang-up button. Her fingers mechanically find the speed dial.  
"Hello?" Giles' voice doesn't sound as far as he is.  
"Giles, you have to come."  
"Buffy?"  
"She's at the house," Buffy replies quietly as if Glory can hear that they are speaking of her. Ringing off, Buffy walks to the front door, opens it and looks out— the sirens scream is louder than before. Leaving the door open, Buffy walks back to the living room then takes another look at her mother in her disheveled state and immediately straightens her mother's clothes— rearranging her beige skirt that had hiked up in her attempted CPR.

"She's in here." Buffy says as she turns towards the door—two paramedics enter and she can only watch as they put their things down and begin to check her mother over.  
"I'm getting no pulse." One says.  
"Let's lay her out." The other replies and they lift and place her on the floor. Once she is settled, one of the paramedics pulls out his stethoscope and a flashlight.  
"How long's she been like this?" the other asks.  
"I found her, a-a few, few minutes." She guesses, not truly knowing how long her mother was in that state— they continue to work.  
"Was she conscious?" she hears the question but finds it hard to breathe.  
"No." She finally replies.  
"I'm bagging her." He quickly places the needed equipment and continues to work.  
"What?" Buffy inquires, confusion written on her face.  
"We're gonna intubate. Just trying to get her to breathe, all right?" the paramedic tries to place a comforting tone in his voice— she merely nods.

"This your mother?"  
"Yes." She replies placing the hand clutching the cordless phone over her chest.  
"She have any serious physical health problems, any history or heart disease?"  
"No." She replies with a robotic tone. They continue their routine, but to no avail and finally.  
"She's cold man." They look at each other for a brief moment before deciding to call it. With a grim look, his partner turns his attention to Buffy.  
"Call it." One of the paramedics finally says.  
As they begin to pack up their equipment, Buffy's lower lip begins to tremble as thoughts of her life without her mother floods her already cloudy mind.

"I'm sorry." She's unsure which paramedic he is, says. She looks up at him blurry eyed.  
"Wha-what do we do now?" she inquires in a small voice.  
"I'm sorry, but I have to tell that, your mother is dead." She only stares blankly through the blur.  
"It looks like she did die a good while before you found her. There's nothing you have done".  
"Wh-what..."

"I'm guessing it must have been an aneurysm or some clotting. Some complication from surgery. She probably felt," he pauses, noticing the tears in her eyes, "very little pain. I'm gonna call it in. The coroner's office will come by and take her in, and they'll determine the cause of death conclusively." She only continues to stare at him.  
They are interrupted by a call on the radio for a 206, and they quickly finish collecting their belongings and head out the door.  
"Good luck," Buffy says under her breath as the sirens blare, leaving her alone in their wake.

Sitting in Mackenzie's livingroon with soft music playing in the background, Giles allows his weary body to sink deeply into the sofa.  
"So what you're saying is that all the arrangements have been made- and that's it?" Mackenzie inquires as she enters the room with a tray filled with a teapot, tucked neatly within a tea cosy, two porcelain mugs, a plate with cookies and some chocolates, two smaller plates and linen serviettes.  
"Yes, I think it's a bit odd, to say the least, that Joyce seemed to know that her end was near."  
"As odd as this may sound, I think some of us just know when our time is up." She replies as she sets the tray on the coffee table and sits closely beside him. "While some of us haven't the faintest clue what the future holds." She cannot help but think of Alexa and her want to live despite being diagnosed terminal. She and Adam traveled to her end, which Mackenzie knew seriously impacted Adam in ways he would never admit. They enjoy their momentary pause before Mackenzie begins to pour the tea and they arrange themselves, taking a plate each and silently agreeing with what the other wishes.

"And Angel said that he was coming?" she looks into the mug of hot liquid.  
"Willow mentioned it, yes. I honestly don't feel that it's the best of ideas, but those two have the oddest history."  
"I suppose. But I doubt that Spike will be impressed." She adds.  
"Spike? Why would he care if Angel were here?" he inquires. In keeping with her promise to maintain Buffy's confidence, Mackenzie smiles warmly, tilts her head to the side and puts her mug down on the coffee table.  
"It's nothing major. At least I don't think so." She sits back.

"A chipped Spike has managed to befriend our Slayer." She says simply. Giles wonders if Mackenzie means something else, perhaps something more, but decides against pursuing it. "With everything that's been going on, I guess she found that she could confide in Spike."  
"So she couldn't trust her best friend, or me for that matter?" he appears a bit miffed by Buffy ignoring him as a source of support during one of the most difficult experiences in life.  
"Giles, I highly doubt that's it. This thing with you and I hasn't been at the best of times, nor has the Glory issue and now her mother. What more can she take without unloading on someone?"  
"Again, I suppose you're right. But Spike of all people?" she hears the utter detest in his tone.  
"I know, I just think that once everything settles down, she'll be fine." She replies simply. "Well, let's just say that Buffy doesn't have the best track record."  
"I've heard, but that doesn't mean that she's going to make the wrong decision." Mackenzie looks into his emerald eyes over the rim of her mug, lowering his mug— Giles, in turn, reveals his trademark crooked smile.

The funeral planned is a simple affair— just as their mother would want it. No pomp and circumstance. Joyce had artfully planned the affair – already choosing the psalms, poems, music, and program. Having the difficult tasks done for them, Buffy and Dawn could take the time they needed in their grieving. The ceremony itself was beautiful, allowing for everyone to remember the woman who had been such a positive influence in their lives. To Xander, Joyce's memory would be that of a loving paternal influence, as she filled a wide gap left by his parents. Willow vowed to always fondly remember Joyce as her second Christmas loving mother, who continually, no questions asked offered her emotional support in all of her choices – academic, social, and romantic. Joyce was Tara's cool mom, who would continually provide an open door to her adoptive 'children'. Mackenzie may not have known Joyce for very long she couldn't help but feel that Joyce was the unspoken glue of the Scooby gang. Giles fondly recalled the times he spent at the Summer home –Joyce always making him feel as though he were part of their family.

Wanting to give Buffy some time to grieve, the Scooby gang quickly assemble, making themselves as useful as possible – Making arrangements, patrolling, helping with Dawn, and anything else their friend may need, even if she wasn't sure what that may be. What they didn't know; however, was Buffy's downward slip. Buffy had de-enrolled from UC Sunnydale, claiming that it was only temporary so that she could take care of Dawn and complete the countless forms that were required of her to fill out once her mother passed- and would re-enroll the following semester. The only person to actually notice that anything was wrong with the Slayer, was Spike. In response to her needs, he made himself available unconditionally to her. Whatever she needed, he would give her. If it was an ear, his shoulder to cry on, or a tryst – providing her with the meaningless physical contact that she craved that no one else could provide.

Mackenzie and Giles finish another sweep of the park on their way back to their complex.  
"Giles, do you really think that Buffy is okay?" she asks as they walk past a cemetery.  
"I imagine that she's still whirling from the shock of losing her mother." He replies as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his light jacket. Mackenzie sighs loudly.  
"Perhaps after we settle this Glory issue, maybe we can get away?" Giles suggests more under his breath than to her. He hadn't wanted to bring it up, as there was so much going on with their trying to figure out how to save the world… yet again. Mackenzie stops in her tracks in thought.  
"What is it, my love? He asks reaching out and running a hand down her arm. She turns to look at him and takes her time in answering.

"Giles, if we survive this. I would love to go away with you and see your home." She smiles brightly, not wanting to push any further in their potential future planes. His smile widens and he quickly scoops her up in his arms and kisses her passionately.  
"Giles," she finally manages between kisses.  
"Yes?"  
"I love you." She says, truly meaning and feeling the words as they leave her lips. His expression is priceless as she captures his lips once again with hers and enjoys their moment. Placing her back on solid ground, they reach for each other's hands and continue on their way. Giles can hardly believe how truly unreal yet spectacular those three words sounded. Pausing for a moment, Mackenzie looks up at him. Her radiant smile captured in the pale moonlight, the look of love in her eyes makes him realise how truly important she is to him. How he longs to kick Glory into the next world, sweep Mackenzie away and begin the life that he suddenly feels possible- providing the world doesn't end.

Curled up in a comfortable chair at the Magic Shop, Mackenzie continues skimming through a thick volume.

 _The ritual_ _ **must**_ _be carried out in a deliberate manner. The key shrouded in ritual garb, see figure 101, will be properly prepared by being bathed, see figure 102, dried with ceremonial cloth (see figure 103) and essential oils applied. After which, the Key is placed into the ritual dress, see figure 104, transported to the site and ceremoniously stabbed, see figure 105. Blood will begin the ritual, the portal shall open and darkness shall extinguish light for eternity on this night._

"Giles, I found this on the how the ceremony takes place, but nothing on the when or where" Mackenzie states and lets the book close.  
"My dear, while it may appear that we are at a disadvantage, we will glean enough intel and Buffy will prevail."  
"How do we keep Dawn safe from a shapeshifter?" Mackenzie pauses in thought. "I mean, if Glory can take on any form – how can we be sure that she hasn't abducted one of us? Wouldn't that have been easier for her?"  
"You are quite right." He replies as Buffy and Dawn enter the shop. "However, if I read one of the texts correctly, Glory would have to kill her intended host."  
"Right, and that would mean, she would have to have enough knowledge of each of us to fit seamlessly. And considering that fact, she chose that doctor Ben." She says.  
"It would appear so. That would have been the best way for her to infiltrate the group without having prior knowledge. I'm just glad that we were able to figure that out."  
"I agree, that would have been disastrous, Tara being mind raped is bad enough to deal with. I hope that Willow can make it through. We will get everything back to where it was." Mackenzie has hope in her tone, which makes Giles smile.

"Hey guys," Buffy says happily while Dawn retires to her usual table to dump her book bag and start homework, or research.  
"Hey, Buffy." Mackenzie smiles brightly setting the book aside.  
"Are you here to train?" Giles inquires stepping around the counter as Anya exits the office.  
"Yup. I thought a few more sessions before I kick the she-bitch into the next whatever or wherever that is, is in order." She replies and follows Giles to the backroom to their training room.

Knowing the significance of her findings, Mackenzie grabs a Post-It Note and quickly opens the book to the pages she had read, sticking the note to remind her to go over the passages again later.  
"I better get going. I'm meeting Duncan for dinner and training." She looks over at Anya, who had been looking over her shoulder.  
"I'll let them know where you are." Anya smiles warmly. "So Giles doesn't worry." She adds in a hushed tone with a wink.  
"Thanks, Anya. Once this is all over we're all going to party!" Mackenzie smiles brightly and gathers her things to go.  
"Kenzie." Dawn's voice almost seems small.  
"What's up Dawn?" Mackenzie inquires, keeping her tone upbeat.  
"I'm sorry." She looks down for a moment. "If I had never been born, or created, none of this would be happening." Dawn sighs and opens one of the many books in front of her.  
"There is nothing to be sorry for. Our job is keeping you super safe. Buffy will save the world and we can get back to our regularly scheduled 'normal'."

"Thanks." Dawn tries to smile a bit. "See you later?"  
"You got it," Mackenzie replies as she hooks her knapsack over her shoulder. "Anya, do me a favour?"  
"Sure, what is it?"  
"Give Xander a bit of a break?" she says, opening and slipping through the door before Anya has the chance to respond.  
Wonder what that's supposed to mean? Anya muses while going through inventory and making notes in her little ledger. Can't be overly important if she's that vague. Order eye of newt, romance sprinkles and revenge powder she smiles satisfied completing her task, before moving onto busying herself with general tidying, rearranging shelves, re-shelving books, and chatting with Dawn. Helping her with homework while waiting for Buffy and Giles to emerge from the gym.

"So how much longer until the end of the world?" Duncan inquires over coffee.  
"Buffy is nearly ready to pounce. I just hope that the element of surprise will assist in her saving the world." Mackenzie replies before taking a sip of the hot liquid. "I am cautiously optimistic that all goes well and that we actually have some time to breathe before the next big bad comes to town."  
"Next big bad?" Duncan says, cocking a thick eyebrow.  
"Duncan. So far, Buffy has saved the world numerous times. Once this is over; however that may be, there will be another situation to deal with.  
"How exactly did you get involved in all this mess again?"  
"WE! Got into this mess on our first run." She replies smugly. "Remember?"  
"Oh, right! I almost forgot about that night." He puts his mug on the tray that sits on the coffee table. "Training in an hour sound okay?" he adds as he gets up and takes the tray to the kitchen.  
"Sure, I'll put those in the dishwasher." Mackenzie joins him in the kitchen and quickly tidies up. "I'll grab my bag and then we can head to the dojo?" she says with a smile.

"I've been meaning to ask you. When are you planning on going back to Seacouver?"  
"My teaching contract will be over this semester. You seem to have adjusted very well to your life here. I don't think that you need me anymore. You can train with Buffy and Giles to keep yourself sharp and I'll visit on a regular basis."  
She had hoped that he would stay but knew that he would want to get back to his life back home. She also knew that Joe would eventually want to get back to his bar and playing weekly rather than monthly. "Besides, you've found your place with your friends. And Giles! I couldn't be happier for you."  
"You thought I'd end up alone? Or worse? With Methos!"  
"Something like that." He winks and they start preparing to leave. "You will invite us to the wedding, right?"  
" **DUNCAN**! isn't that a bit presumptuous?"  
"Just calling it as I see it. Meeting his family anytime soon?" his smile widens.  
"Fingers crossed that Buffy saves the world." She pauses tying her shoelaces. "After which we are taking a much-needed vacation and I will be joining him on a voyage to England." She cannot help the blush that creeps up her neck, resting on her cheeks.

Arriving at the dojo after hours, Mackenzie follows Duncan and they set themselves up in their space. Stretching herself out, she takes a few sips of water before fixing her ponytail for their sparing session.  
"I've mentioned your shoulder," Duncan instructs and she quickly corrects herself and lands a powerful kick. "Good!" Mackenzie then regroups for another round of offensive attacks, all of which Duncan counters and then switches their roles. Forcing her to kick into defense mode and anticipate his attacks. "That's what I'm talking about." He adds with another smile.  
"Thanks." She replies as their sparing draws to an end. Bowing slightly, Mackenzie heads to her bag on the bench to retrieve her water bottle. Taking a much-needed gulp of water, she sighs contently.  
"You're going to be just fine," Duncan assures her while toweling a bit of sweat from his brow.

Duncan pauses for a moment, a look on his face she has seen many times over the years.  
"Hey, guys!" Methos calls with a wave.  
"Methos, what brings you here?" Duncan makes his way to his friend and they shake hands.  
"Got some disturbing news." He replies calmly.  
"That being?" Mackenzie's heart sinks.  
"Dawn has been kidnapped by Glory's minions." Methos stats with a frown and a serious look on his face. She feels as though the wind has been knocked right out of her and fights the need to spring into action. "Giles has asked that you stay away from what may or may not be." He holds his hands up. "Please reframe from killing the messenger."  
"You're right." She replies in defeat and merely flops onto the bench with a loud sigh. "I just thought we had more time." Was all she could manage.

"You will have all the time in the world," Duncan says his soothing Scottish accent, slightly calming her rattled nerves. "Buffy will defeat this foe and yes you are right. There will be others and you shall prevail. You and Giles have long lives that will be spent growing old together." He adds with his familiar smile. Nodding her understanding, Mackenzie cannot stop the tears that have welled up fall freely down her cheeks. Methos quickly closes the distance between them and wraps her in his embrace, letting her tears soak through the thin material of his Henley.

"I know I always give you a head time, but it's actually because I care. You know?" Methos whispers in her ear, gently rocking to soothe her. She moves to look at him.  
"Methos, does it get any easier?" he reaches to cup her cheek and wipes at the tears with the pad of his thumb.  
"You love him. He's in danger. I'm going to be totally honest. No, it doesn't get any easier. Watching your friends die because of this sick game is one thing. Keeping tabs on the ones we love is another. Kenzie, you'll figure this all out as you go along." He smiles as Duncan returns with a tissue.  
"I meant to ask either of you if you have ever heard of or encountered Glory?" Mackenzie asks while putting the tissue in the pocket of her gym bag and grabbing her water bottle.  
"I haven't," Duncan answers honestly and looks towards Methos.  
"Nor have I." he replies standing.  
"Just wondered if I could pick your brains, was all."

"Until we know what's actually going on, Mackenzie, may I suggest you try and do anything but think about it." Duncan smiles and she nods her understanding. "The problem is that I know you too well."  
"Yeah, pretty much. I think I'll go home and call my mom. I haven't really had the chance to speak with her much after the funeral." She sighs standing and grabs her gym bag.  
"You know if you need anything?" she nods her response and makes her way out the double doors to her car. "Why don't you take some time and go visit your family. I'm sure that they would really like to see you for longer than a week." Duncan suggests.  
"School is busy right now." Her reply automatic, but this time she can see Duncan's expression soften. "Perhaps I can look at things, ask the professors for permission to submit my assignments via email, and maybe pick up an extra essay or assignment in place of a test or exam." She rationalises.  
"There, that's better." He quickly gives her hug and they move so she can pick up her gym bag. "We'll talk before you go?" she nodes her ascent.  
"Good night. Talk to you soon." She heads to the doors and makes her way out to her car.

"She's a tough cookie," Methos says with a smile.  
"I know," Duncan replies. "But I cannot help but worry about her."  
"You've known her long enough to care about her as though she were your own daughter," Methos adds.  
"You're right. I hadn't exactly thought about that."  
"We've watched as she has grown into a beautiful young woman who has the world by the tail and doesn't even know it."  
"If Horton has his way, the rug will be tugged out from underneath." Duncan makes a quick observation. "He won't easily give up his power over the Watcher's Council."  
"Ah, he's not smart enough. He can't see past his own ego the reality of how very little power he actually holds." Methos leans against the wall, arms folded casually across his broad chest.  
"But even so, we'll just have to help in keeping her safe."

"I agree. And Giles is the perfect match for that particular job." Duncan nods in agreement. "Then it's settled. Agreed?"  
"Agreed."

"Kenzie, love, we're regrouping. I just wanted to speak with you before we leave and I'm out of communication." Giles' voice is slightly faint as she assumes he is on some sort of speakerphone. Mackenzie thinks that their conversation isn't as private as she had hoped, she tries to keep a smile in her tone so he won't waste thoughts on her.  
"I miss you terribly." She says laying back on her bed.  
"I miss you too, my love. Is everything there going well?" He inquires.  
"Yes, I'm glad that I managed to convince my professors to allow me the options of working on all assignments from home and turn them in by email."  
"I'm glad that you are with those who love you." He says with a smile. "This isn't the best way for me to say this. I love you Mackenzie and will make my way back to you once this is all over." She is calmed by the confidence in his voice. That, and knowing how many previous apocalypses he has already helped Buffy defeat.  
"I can't wait to see you. Giles, I love you too." She smiles and waits for a moment, hearing his breath quicken slightly.  
"I'll call you."  
"I'll be waiting for good news." She waits for a moment. "Talk to you soon."  
"Yes, my love." He ends the call and she sighs loudly.

Downstairs, her family sits around the dinningroom table happily chatting. Mackenzie takes one last breath to calm herself enough to make her way to the adjoining bath to quickly splash water on her face and wash her hands for dinner.  
"Sorry, I'm late."  
"You were on the phone. I didn't want to disturb you." Jason states with a half-smile. "I assume it was Giles with some news?"  
"Not the kind I'm waiting for. They will be heading to what they feel is the ritual site soon." She sits in her place and starts helping herself to a piece of chicken, some veggies, and sweet potato. "This looks wonderful mom." She smiles.  
"Everything will be fine." Her mother's tone is soothing as they continue to eat their meal. Conversation shifts to anything but the unknown.

Meanwhile, Glory, still in Ben's form enters the room wearing a ceremonial robe and holds a small pile of clothing. Behind are a couple of the minions awaiting instructions. Staring down at Dawn, who sits on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest protectively.  
"They, uh said you have to put this on," he pauses, "for the ceremony," Ben states holding the clothes out towards her meekly.  
"What if I don't like the colour?" she asks, a note of defiance in her tone. Still hopeful that Buffy will figure out a way to save her once more.  
"Look, I," another pause as though he were trying to find the proper wording, "I wish there was another way."  
"And I wish you'd fall on your head and drown in your own barf, so," she shrugs her slights shoulders, "we're both disappointed."  
"I think… it'll be quick."  
"Actually sir, the bleeding is quite a slow process to give the portal time to." One of the minions interrupts the conversation.

"Thank you… for the information," he turns his attention back to Dawn, "I'll do what I can too."  
"Change." Dawn demands.  
"What?" a confused look in response.  
"Change. Be her. I don't wanna look at you." She spits. Ben shakes his head.  
"I don't think you wanna." But she interrupts him.  
"Be Glory. Be Glory. Glory! Glory! **Glory!** "  
"Will you stop." He replies as he begins morphing into her. "Shouting already?" Dawn just scowls back at her.  
"Huh?" shaking the garment, a medieval-style dress. She examines it then turns back to Dawn. "So what's the hubbub, bub?" sitting in a nearby chair, "what do you got against old Benjy?"  
"He's a monster. At least you're upfront about it." A slight challenge in Dawn's voice. Glory absently picks at the hem of the dress.  
"Don't be so hard on the boy. He just wants to live. Most guys would do the same." She pauses momentarily, "he's probably the reason your sis and her little cartoon pals are still alive. That little nagging pinch of humanity that makes me go for the hurt instead of the kill." Her gaze stern on Dawn. "Lowering myself to trade blows with the Slayer when I should have just put my fist through her heart."

Watching as Buffy relentlessly punch the hanging bag, Giles paces and frowns slightly.  
"You sure you're not going to tire yourself out?" he asks stopping and crossing his arms studying her form. She pauses momentarily, almost in thought.  
"I'm sure." Her reply simple and she returns her focus to the bag. Sure that he can be heard through her focus, he continues.  
"We're still working on ideas," Buffy stops mid punch. "Time's short, but, uh, best to leave it to the last moment." He watches as Buffy stretches her arms. "If we go in too early and she takes us out, no chance of getting her to miss her window."  
"Then we wait." She replies simply, trusting her Watcher's input on their situation, wishing that there was more time. The pain of the loss over the past year, Buffy inhales deeply and lands one final punch, releasing the bag from its chain, it falls to the ground with a loud thud. Buffy merely stars at it and shakes the impact from her arm.

Their conversation continues and they discuss their feelings for Dawn and the many times they saved the world. Buffy's tone changes as she reveals her pain in sacrificing her first love, Angel to save the world.

"The Spirit Guide told me that death is my gift." She tilts her head in thought. "Guess it means a Slayer really is just a killer after all." She states matter-of-factly. Giles' expression falls slightly, sitting in thought on the sofa.

"I think you're wrong about that." He says quietly.  
"It doesn't matter. If Dawn dies, I'm done with it. I'm quitting." She states leaving Giles in her wake.  
I truly hope that our plan works, Giles thinks to himself standing and making his way out of the training gym.

The team make their way to the ritual site and quickly realise that they are in for one hell of a fight, as Glory had ensured that all of her basis are covered. Various levels of reinforcement strategically placed, ready and awaiting the command to defend the ritual site. Anticipating the resistance, the Scoobies put their plan into action so Buffy can begin the climb towards Dawn. Glory, however, has another plan. She lets her minions and distractions handle the gang so she can turn her full attention to Buffy, who has begun her ascent and they engage in battle. Dawn looks down in dismay.  
" **Buffy!** " she hollers loudly. The distraction gives Glory a chance to hit Buffy hard in the leg, who responds with a loud gasp in pain. Exchanging more blows, Buffy manages to get past Glory and climb the outer scaffolding. Realising Buffy's plan, she follows suit and kicks Buffy. Buffy slides down, avoiding another hit she runs up a ramp and kicks Glory in the face, then just as quickly runs back down the ramp to retrieve the hammer. Masterfully swinging the hammer, she moves towards Glory, hitting her before knocking out a ladder.

The hit to Buffy's face causes her to lose her balance and falling backwards, she grabs a hold of Glory as they fall off the structure. A loud, bone-crunching thud echoes, the hammer landing nearby. Hearing the sound, Spike in the middle of neutralising two minions looks over. Seeing Buffy rise, he sighs relief and continues his assigned task. Glory is also on her feet and Buffy violently grabs her by the shoulders and pushes her quite a few yards away – nearly into a wall. A shame, Buffy thinks.  
"You lost your hammer, sweet cheeks." Glory taunts the Slayer. "What are you gonna hit me with now?" a victorious grin on her crimson lips. Buffy takes a moment to think and sees what's about to occur. Glory turns just in time to catch the huge wrecking ball as it crashes through the wall and into her, flinging her into another wall.  
"Whatever's handy." Buffy quips making a mad dash to retrieve the hammer on her way back to Dawn and stopping the ritual.  
"The glorified bricklayer picks up the spare," Xander exclaims happily with a wide grin.

Dawn watches as the chaos below unfolds. Nearby movement catches her attention and she gasps at the sight of Doc.  
"You, you can help me. Untie me, please. Help me, she's coming." Dawn pleads as Doc makes his way towards her.  
"Well, it seems she's running a bit late, is the thing. And, uh, if her Splendidness can't be here in time to bleed you." He pauses, Dawn appears as scared and anxious as she is, realises that there was no way she could persuade him to help her.  
"Hey!" he winks, "kid. Wanna see a trick?" he asks jovially. She cannot answer, only stares back at him. Like a magician, he produces a large, shiny knife and holds it up for her to see. Dawn's eyes widen, but she cannot stop the gasp that escapes her lips as she cringes at the thought of being stabbed to death and slowly by the sounds of it.  
While below Buffy brings Glory to the brink of death, above the Doc is hell-bent on opening the portal.  
"Shallow cuts." He says simply ignoring her crying. "Shallow cuts." He makes another cut and Dawn can't stop the cry out in pain. "Let the blood," he pauses again. "Flow." He looks down at Dawn's feet and can see the blood drip on her bare toes. "Free." He continues.  
"Dawn!" Buffy calls.  
" **Buffy!** " Dawn shrieks, gasping in pain, Doc turns on his heel as Buffy confidently makes her way towards them.  
"This should be interesting." He muses aloud. Buffy pushes past him, causing him to fall over the edge with a scream.  
"Here." She says in a soothing tone. Dawn continues to whimper.  
"Buffy, it hurts." She manages.  
"I got it. Come here. You're gonna be okay." Buffy coaxes Dawn towards her, but a few drops of blood drip over the edge and almost immediately the droplets meet 'something' unseen and a small circular, growing light appears mid-air.

Leading Dawn off the platform towards the tower's entrance, Dawn pauses and turns to Buffy.  
"Go!" Buffy says pushing Dawn forward.  
"Buffy, it's started." Dawn and Buffy both turn and see the light of the rapidly growing portal. What they do not see is the havoc the portal is raining upon Sunnydale. "I'm sorry." Dawn's tears make their way down her cheeks. Buffy takes a breath.  
"It doesn't matter." She replies simply. Trying to run past Buffy to fling herself into the portal, Dawn is easily contained in Buffy's arms. "What are you doing?" she demands.  
"I have to jump. The energy."  
"It'll kill you." Buffy's response serious.  
"I know." Her reply, hardly above a whisper. "Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it."  
"No," Buffy replies, they both feel the sway of the tower beneath them and stumble.  
"I have to. Look what's happening." She tries to convince her sister. The rumble of the portal increases in volume as a dragon emerges and they can only watch as it flies away. "Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop." Her logic running through Buffy's mind and she stares at Dawn in anguish and near defeat. "You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood." She continues preparing herself to jump. It is in that moment of clarity that Buffy truly realises the connection.

 _"'_ _Cause it's always got to be blood," Spike states matter-of-factly as though there are no other answers.  
_ "It's Summer's blood. It's just like mine." Buffy's moment of clarity is confirmed by the voice of the first Slayer.  
 _"_ _Death is your gift."  
_ Anticipating Dawn's inevitable protests, Buffy frowns and turns slowly, in a momentary moment of tranquillity, Buffy quickly turns back to Dawn who quickly realises her plan.  
"Buffy no!"  
"Dawnie, I have to." She replies simply.  
" **No!** " Dawn protests. Buffy takes her sister gently, holding her gently by her upper arms.  
"Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time. Listen." Having said what needed to be said, Buffy lovingly strokes Dawn's face, kisses her cheek while Dawn continues to cry. It is as if the world moves in slow-motion, Dawn watches as Buffy turns away from her and runs down the platform diving off the end into the turbulent portal as though diving into a swimming pool.

Buffy lands in a pile of rubble, concrete, metal poles and posts. The group manages to gather themselves and make their way towards her. Dawn has somehow managed to make her way safely down from the high tower, she almost cannot take in the sight in front of her. Tears still streaming down her cheeks, all she can think is that the outcome is her fault. Unable to move, they stare at her lifeless body in disbelief.  
"What are we going to do?" Willow is the first to speak.  
"Everything she said," Xander replies simply as he wipes tears from his eyes with the back of his dusty hand. Anya coughs and hangs onto Xander to maintain her balance. Giles kneels and reaches out towards her. Brushing the hair away from her face, he too brushes tears away.  
" **It's NOT FAIR!** " Dawn screams at the top of her lungs as though it will make her feel any better, or that somehow, she is unsure, Buffy will open her eyes. The reality evident, Giles picks up his cell phone.  
"What are you doing?" Xander inquires.  
"Calling it in," he replies simply after dialing 9-1-1 to report the accident.

Having the others take Dawn back to his flat, Giles stays behind in wait for the ambulance. It feels like a long wait, but he spends the time sitting next to her, stroking her face and hair, quietly chatting away. He hardly notices when the paramedics arrive with their stretcher.  
"Oh wow!" one of the paramedics states, not so under his breath.  
"It's her." The other says as they make their way to her side, their medical equipment ready to be used.  
"I'm afraid, she's gone," Giles states simply. "Whatever do you mean by it's her?"  
"We were on duty when her mother passed." The reply while they carefully gather her body and transport it onto the stretcher. "A shame really. She seems rather young." He adds as they make their way to the ambulance, Giles not knowing why, but following.  
"Just a moment, please." He pleads.  
"Sure." They give him a moment alone with her. Once he kisses her cold forehead, the paramedics artfully cover her angelic looking face with the white sheet. Giles watches as the ambulance pulls away, his Slayer now completely out of commission. She gave so much to them and he began to wonder what they had truly given her in return. Perhaps she has found her piece, he muses staring at the pile of rubble, now bloodstained. Hoping that whatever assistance they had given was enough, Giles finally makes his way towards the parking lot.

Too soon, they find themselves again at the cemetery gathered around the freshly covered final resting place of their beloved daughter, sister, and friend. Holding each other for support, they stare down at the headstone:

 **BUFFY ANN SUMMERS**

 **1981-2001**

 **BELOVED SISTER**

 **DEVOTED FRIEND**

 **SHE SAVED THE WORLD**

 **A LOT**

They take their respective turn laying flowers on the gravesite and then reassemble at the sidewalk to make their way back to Kenzie's flat for an afternoon of celebrating the life of their extraordinary friend.


End file.
